Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2067/43718
Title: A single gene underlies the dynamic evolution of poplar sex determination
Authors: Müller NA
Kersten B
Leite Montalvão AP
Bräutigam K
Mähler N
Bernhardsson C
Carracedo Lorenzo Z
Hoenicka H
Kumar V
Mader M
Pakull B
Robinson K
Sabatti, Maurizio 
Vettori C
Ingvarsson P
Cronk Q
Street N
Fladung M
Journal: NATURE PLANTS 
Issue Date: 2020
Abstract: 
Although hundreds of plant lineages have independently evolved dioecy, i.e. separation of the sexes, the underlying genetic basis remains largely elusive. Here we show that diverse poplar species carry partial duplicates of the ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 17 (ARR17) ortholog within the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. These duplicates give rise to small RNAs apparently causing male-specific DNA methylation and silencing of the ARR17 gene. Excitingly, CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations demonstrate that ARR17 functions as a sex switch triggering female development when ‘on’ and male development when ‘off’. Despite repeated turnover events, including a transition from the XY to a ZW system, sex-specific regulation of ARR17 is conserved across the poplar genus and likely beyond. Our data reveal how a single-gene-based mechanism of dioecy can enable highly dynamic sex-linked regions and contribute to maintaining sex chromosome recombination and integrity.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2067/43718
ISSN: 2055-0278
DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-0672-9
Appears in Collections:A1. Articolo in rivista

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