Homomorphic plant sex chromosomes are coming of age. Issue 13 (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Filatov, Dmitry A.
• Is Part Of: Molecular ecology. Volume 24:Issue 13(2015)
• Page Start: 3217
• Page End: 3219
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Molecular ecology -- Periodicals; Molecular population biology -- Periodicals; 576
• DOI: 10.1111/mec.13268
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1083

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="mec13268-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Sex chromosomes are a very peculiar part of the genome that have evolved independently in many groups of animals and plants (Bull <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0008">1983</xref>). Major research efforts have so far been focused on large heteromorphic sex chromosomes in a few animal and plant species (Chibalina & Filatov <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0012">2011</xref>; Zhou & Bachtrog <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0032">2012</xref>; Bellott <italic>et al</italic>. <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0006">2014</xref>; Hough <italic>et al</italic>. <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0020">2014</xref>; Zhou <italic>et al</italic>. <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0033">2014</xref>), while homomorphic (cytologically indistinguishable) sex chromosomes have largely been neglected. However, this situation is starting to change. In this issue, Geraldes <italic>et al</italic>. (<xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0017">2015</xref>) describe a small (~100 kb long) sex‐determining region on the homomorphic sex chromosomes of poplars (<italic>Populus trichocarpa</italic> and related species, Fig. <xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-fig-0001">1</xref>). All species in <italic>Populus</italic> and its sister genus <italic>Salix</italic> are dioecious, suggesting that dioecy and the sex chromosomes, if any, should be relatively old. Contrary to this expectation, Geraldes <italic>et al</italic>. (<xref ref-type="link" rid="mec13268-bib-0017">2015</xref>) demonstrate that the sex‐determining region in poplars is of very recent origin and probably evolved within the genus <italic>Populus</italic> only a few million years ago.</p> </abstract>