Pappert Freya A, Dubin Arseny, Torres Guillermo G, Roth Olivia
Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany.
Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Kiel 24105, Germany.
R Soc Open Sci. 2024 Apr 3;11(4). doi: 10.1098/rsos.231620. eCollection 2024 Apr.
Sexual dimorphism, the divergence in morphological traits between males and females of the same species, is often accompanied by sex-biased gene expression. However, the majority of research has focused on species with conventional sex roles, where females have the highest energy burden with both egg production and parental care, neglecting the diversity of reproductive roles found in nature. We investigated sex-biased gene expression in , a sex-role reversed species with male pregnancy, allowing us to separate two female traits: egg production and parental care. Using RNA sequencing, we examined gene expression across organs (brain, head kidney and gonads) at various life stages, encompassing differences in age, sex and reproductive status. While some gene groups were more strongly associated with sex roles, such as stress resistance and immune defence, others were driven by biological sex, such as energy and lipid storage regulation in an organ- and age-specific manner. By investigating how genes regulate and are regulated by changing reproductive roles and resource allocation in a model system with an unconventional life-history strategy, we aim to better understand the importance of sex and sex role in regulating gene expression patterns, broadening the scope of this discussion to encompass a wide range of organisms.
两性异形，即同一物种的雄性和雌性在形态特征上的差异，通常伴随着性别偏向的基因表达。然而，大多数研究都集中在具有传统性别角色的物种上，在这些物种中，雌性在产卵和育儿方面承担着最高的能量负担，而忽视了自然界中生殖角色的多样性。我们研究了一种具有性别角色逆转且雄性怀孕的物种中的性别偏向基因表达，这使我们能够区分两种雌性特征：产卵和育儿。利用RNA测序技术，我们检测了不同生命阶段各器官（脑、头肾和性腺）的基因表达，涵盖了年龄、性别和生殖状态的差异。虽然一些基因组与性别角色的关联更为紧密，如抗应激和免疫防御，但其他基因组则由生物性别驱动，如以器官和年龄特异性方式进行的能量和脂质储存调节。通过在一个具有非传统生活史策略的模型系统中研究基因如何通过改变生殖角色和资源分配来进行调控以及自身如何被调控，我们旨在更好地理解性别和性别角色在调节基因表达模式中的重要性，将这一讨论的范围扩大到涵盖广泛的生物体。
