More Like this

1. Long-read genome assemblies for the study of chromosome expansion: Drosophila kikkawai , Drosophila takahashii , Drosophila bipectinata , and Drosophila ananassae

   https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkad191  

   Leung, Wilson; Torosin, Nicole; Cao, Weihuan; Reed, Laura K.; Arrigo, Cindy; Elgin, Sarah C. R.; Ellison, Christopher E.; Vogel, ed., K. (August 2023, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics)

   Abstract Flow cytometry estimates of genome sizes among species of Drosophila show a 3-fold variation, ranging from ∼127 Mb in Drosophila mercatorum to ∼400 Mb in Drosophila cyrtoloma. However, the assembled portion of the Muller F element (orthologous to the fourth chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster) shows a nearly 14-fold variation in size, ranging from ∼1.3 Mb to >18 Mb. Here, we present chromosome-level long-read genome assemblies for 4 Drosophila species with expanded F elements ranging in size from 2.3 to 20.5 Mb. Each Muller element is present as a single scaffold in each assembly. These assemblies will enable new insights into the evolutionary causes and consequences of chromosome size expansion. 

   more » « less
2. Inversions shape the divergence of Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis on multiple timescales

   https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14278  

   Korunes, Katharine_L; Machado, Carlos_A; Noor, Mohamed_A_F (June 2021, Evolution)
3. Sex-Biased Expression Is Associated With Chromatin State in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans

   https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad078  

   Nanni, Adalena V; Martinez, Natalie; Graze, Rita; Morse, Alison; Newman, Jeremy R; Jain, Vaibhav; Vlaho, Srna; Signor, Sarah; Nuzhdin, Sergey V; Renne, Rolf; et al (May 2023, Molecular Biology and Evolution)

   Wittkopp, Patricia (Ed.)

   Abstract In Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans head tissue, 60% of orthologous genes show evidence of sex-biased expression in at least one species. Of these, ∼39% (2,192) are conserved in direction. We hypothesize enrichment of open chromatin in the sex where we see expression bias and closed chromatin in the opposite sex. Male-biased orthologs are significantly enriched for H3K4me3 marks in males of both species (∼89% of male-biased orthologs vs. ∼76% of unbiased orthologs). Similarly, female-biased orthologs are significantly enriched for H3K4me3 marks in females of both species (∼90% of female-biased orthologs vs. ∼73% of unbiased orthologs). The sex-bias ratio in female-biased orthologs was similar in magnitude between the two species, regardless of the closed chromatin (H3K27me2me3) marks in males. However, in male-biased orthologs, the presence of H3K27me2me3 in both species significantly reduced the correlation between D. melanogaster sex-bias ratio and the D. simulans sex-bias ratio. Male-biased orthologs are enriched for evidence of positive selection in the D. melanogaster group. There are more male-biased genes than female-biased genes in both species. For orthologs with gains/losses of sex-bias between the two species, there is an excess of male-bias compared to female-bias, but there is no consistent pattern in the relationship between H3K4me3 or H3K27me2me3 chromatin marks and expression. These data suggest chromatin state is a component of the maintenance of sex-biased expression and divergence of sex-bias between species is reflected in the complexity of the chromatin status. 

   more » « less
4. Meiotic drive mechanisms: lessons from Drosophila

   https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1430  

   Courret, Cécile; Chang, Ching-Ho; Wei, Kevin H.-C.; Montchamp-Moreau, Catherine; Larracuente, Amanda M. (October 2019, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences)
5. The DNA polymerases of Drosophila melanogaster

   https://doi.org/10.1080/19336934.2019.1710076  

   Marygold, Steven J.; Attrill, Helen; Speretta, Elena; Warner, Kate; Magrane, Michele; Berloco, Maria; Cotterill, Sue; McVey, Mitch; Rong, Yikang; Yamaguchi, Masamitsu (January 2020, Fly)