Male-biased genes in willow reproductive tissue evolve more slowly than female-biased counterparts
Male-biased genes expressed in the reproductive tissue of Salix viminalis showed lower rates of sequence evolution compared to unbiased and female-biased genes, according to researchers who investigated gene expression patterns in the dioecious plant species. The pattern stems partly from lower codon usage bias in male-biased genes, which leads to elevated synonymous substitution rates. Strong purifying selection also plays a role, driven by haploid selection and pollen competition in the reproductive tissue.
The results help explain how haploid selection and pollen competition shape evolutionary rates in plant genomes, an area far less studied than sex-biased gene evolution in animals.
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