Theory suggests sexual traits should show heightened condition-dependent expression. This prediction has been tested extensively in experiments where condition has been manipulated through environmental quality. Condition-dependence as a function of genetic quality has, however, only rarely been addressed, despite its central importance in evolutionary theory. To address the effect of genetic quality on expression of sexual and non-sexual traits, we here compare gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster head tissue between flies with intact genomes (high condition) and flies carrying a major deleterious mutation (low condition). We find that sex-biased genes show heightened condition-dependent expression in both sexes, and that expression in low condition males and females regresses towards a more similar expression profile. As predicted, sex-biased expression was more sensitive to condition in males compared to females, but surprisingly female-biased, rather than male-biased, genes show higher sensitivity to condition in both sexes. Our results thus support the fundamental predictions of the theory of condition-dependence when condition is a function of genetic quality.

Heightened condition-dependence of the sexual transcriptome as a function of genetic quality in Drosophila melanogaster head tissue / Malacrinò, Antonino; Kimber, Christopher M; Brengdahl, Martin; Friberg, Urban. - In: PROCEEDINGS - ROYAL SOCIETY. BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. - ISSN 0962-8452. - 286:1906(2019), p. 20190819. [10.1098/rspb.2019.0819]

Heightened condition-dependence of the sexual transcriptome as a function of genetic quality in Drosophila melanogaster head tissue

Malacrinò, Antonino;
2019-01-01

Abstract

Theory suggests sexual traits should show heightened condition-dependent expression. This prediction has been tested extensively in experiments where condition has been manipulated through environmental quality. Condition-dependence as a function of genetic quality has, however, only rarely been addressed, despite its central importance in evolutionary theory. To address the effect of genetic quality on expression of sexual and non-sexual traits, we here compare gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster head tissue between flies with intact genomes (high condition) and flies carrying a major deleterious mutation (low condition). We find that sex-biased genes show heightened condition-dependent expression in both sexes, and that expression in low condition males and females regresses towards a more similar expression profile. As predicted, sex-biased expression was more sensitive to condition in males compared to females, but surprisingly female-biased, rather than male-biased, genes show higher sensitivity to condition in both sexes. Our results thus support the fundamental predictions of the theory of condition-dependence when condition is a function of genetic quality.
2019
Drosophila melanogaster
condition-dependence
gene expression
genetic quality
sexual dimorphism
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12318/130268
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