Shi Yisu, Ackah Michael, Amoako Frank Kwarteng, Zhao Mengdi, van der Puije Grace C, Zhao Weiguo
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericulture Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Aug 15;13(8):622. doi: 10.3390/biology13080622.
Intersexual differentiation is crucial for the speciation and maintenance of dioecious plants, but the underlying mechanisms, including the genes involved, are still poorly understood. Here, we focused on a typical dioicous plant , to explore the molecular footprints relevant to sex evolution by revealing the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two sexes and the testing signals of selection for these DEGs. From the results, we found a total of 1543 DEGs. Interestingly, 333 and 66 genes expression were detected only in male and female inflorescences, respectively. Using comparative transcriptomics, the expression of 841 genes were found to be significantly higher in male than in female inflorescences and were mainly enriched in defense-related pathways including the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids, cutin, suberine and waxes. Meanwhile, the expression of 702 genes was female-biased and largely enriched in pathways related to growth and development, such as carbohydrate metabolism, auxin signaling and cellular responses. In addition, 16.7% and 17.6% signals of selection were significantly detected in female- and male-biased genes, respectively, suggesting their non-negligible role in evolution. Our findings expanded the understanding of the molecular basis of intersexual differentiation and contribute to further research on sex evolution in dioecious plants.
雌雄异体分化对于雌雄异株植物的物种形成和维持至关重要，但其潜在机制，包括涉及的基因，仍知之甚少。在这里，我们聚焦于一种典型的雌雄异株植物，通过揭示两性之间的差异表达基因（DEGs）以及这些DEGs的选择测试信号，来探索与性别进化相关的分子印记。从结果来看，我们共发现了1543个DEGs。有趣的是，分别在雄花序和雌花序中仅检测到333个和66个基因的表达。通过比较转录组学，发现841个基因在雄花序中的表达显著高于雌花序，且主要富集在与防御相关的途径中，包括苯丙烷类、角质、栓质和蜡质的生物合成。同时，702个基因的表达偏向雌性，主要富集在与生长和发育相关的途径中，如碳水化合物代谢、生长素信号传导和细胞反应。此外，分别在雌性偏向基因和雄性偏向基因中显著检测到16.7%和17.6%的选择信号，表明它们在进化中具有不可忽视的作用。我们的研究结果扩展了对雌雄异体分化分子基础的理解，并有助于进一步研究雌雄异株植物的性别进化。
