skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Meiosis genes in Daphnia pulexand the role of parthenogenesis in genome evolution

Journal Article · · BMC Evolutionary Biology (Online)
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Biology. Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics
  2. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Dept. of Biology. The Center forGenomics and Bioinformatics

Background: Thousands of parthenogenetic animal species have been described and cytogenetic manifestations of this reproductive mode are well known. However, little is understood about the molecular determinants of parthenogenesis. The Daphnia pulex genome must contain the molecular machinery for different reproductive modes: sexual (both male and female meiosis) and parthenogenetic (which is either cyclical or obligate). This feature makes D. pulex an ideal model to investigate the genetic basis of parthenogenesis and its consequences for gene and genome evolution. Here we describe the inventory of meiotic genes and their expression patterns during meiotic and parthenogenetic reproduction to help address whether parthenogenesis uses existing meiotic and mitotic machinery, or whether novel processes may be involved. Results: We report an inventory of 130 homologs representing over 40 genes encoding proteins with diverse roles in meiotic processes in the genome of D. pulex. Many genes involved in cell cycle regulation and sister chromatid cohesion are characterized by expansions in copy number. In contrast, most genes involved in DNA replication and homologous recombination are present as single copies. Notably, RECQ2 (which suppresses homologous recombination) is present in multiple copies while DMC1 is the only gene in our inventory that is absent in the Daphnia genome. Expression patterns for 44 gene copies were similar during meiosis versus parthenogenesis, although several genes displayed marked differences in expression level in germline and somatic tissues. Conclusion: We propose that expansions in meiotic gene families in D. pulex may be associated with parthenogenesis. Taking into account our findings, we provide a mechanistic model of parthenogenesis, highlighting steps that must differ from meiosis including sister chromatid cohesion and kinetochore attachment.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; W-7405-ENG-36; W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
1626385
Journal Information:
BMC Evolutionary Biology (Online), Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 1471-2148
Publisher:
BioMed CentralCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (112)

Cohesin release is required for sister chromatid resolution, but not for condensin-mediated compaction, at the onset of mitosis journal December 2002
Aster self-organization at meiosis: a conserved mechanism in insect parthenogenesis? journal February 2005
Genotypic characteristics of cyclic parthenogens and their obligately asexual derivatives book January 1987
Monopolar Attachment of Sister Kinetochores at Meiosis I Requires Casein Kinase 1 journal September 2006
DNA Double-Strand Breaks Trigger Genome-Wide Sister-Chromatid Cohesion Through Eco1 (Ctf7) journal July 2007
Phylogenetic evidence for a single long-lived clade of crustacean cyclic parthenogens and its implications for the evolution of sex
  • Taylor, Derek J.; Crease, Teresa J.; Brown, Wesley M.
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 266, Issue 1421 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1999.0707
journal April 1999
Distinct Cohesin Complexes Organize Meiotic Chromosome Domains journal May 2003
Evidence for widespread cryptic sexual generations in apparently purely asexual Andricus gallwasps: CRYPTIC SEX IN ANDRICUS GALLWASPS journal December 2007
Multiple sequence alignment with the Clustal series of programs journal July 2003
Functional specificity of MutL homologs in yeast: Evidence for three Mlh1-based heterocomplexes with distinct roles during meiosis in recombination and mismatch correction journal November 1999
Hybrid speciation journal March 2007
STAG3 , a novel gene encoding a protein involved in meiotic chromosome pairing and location of STAG3 ‐related genes flanking the Williams‐Beuren syndrome deletion journal March 2000
Cohesin Rec8 is required for reductional chromosome segregation at meiosis journal July 1999
A Germ Cell–Specific Gene of the ARGONAUTE Family Is Essential for the Progression of Premeiotic Mitosis and Meiosis during Sporogenesis in Rice journal August 2007
A General Empirical Model of Protein Evolution Derived from Multiple Protein Families Using a Maximum-Likelihood Approach journal May 2001
Requirement of Mammalian Timeless for Circadian Rhythmicity journal October 2003
Human premature aging, DNA repair and RecQ helicases journal November 2007
The multifaceted mismatch-repair system journal April 2006
Transitions to Asexuality Result in Excess Amino Acid Substitutions journal February 2006
Mnd1 Is Required for Meiotic Interhomolog Repair journal May 2004
Cdk10, a Cdc2-related kinase, associates with the Ets2 transcription factor and modulates its transactivation activity journal April 2001
Chromosome cohesion is regulated by a clock gene paralogue TIM-1 journal June 2003
Isolation and characterization of rad51 orthologs from Coprinus cinereus and Lycopersicon esculentum, and phylogenetic analysis of eukaryotic recA homologs journal February 1997
Postreplicative Formation of Cohesion Is Required for Repair and Induced by a Single DNA Break journal July 2007
Homologous chromosome interactions in meiosis: diversity amidst conservation journal June 2005
Protist Homologs of the Meiotic Spo11 Gene and Topoisomerase VI reveal an Evolutionary History of Gene Duplication and Lineage-Specific Loss journal June 2007
Involvement of mouse Mlh1 in DNA mismatch repair and meiotic crossing over journal July 1996
hMSH4-hMSH5 Recognizes Holliday Junctions and Forms a Meiosis-Specific Sliding Clamp that Embraces Homologous Chromosomes journal August 2004
A novel class of evolutionarily conserved genes defined by piwi are essential for stem cell self-renewal journal December 1998
The Structure and Function of smc and Kleisin Complexes journal June 2005
Spo13 Facilitates Monopolin Recruitment to Kinetochores and Regulates Maintenance of Centromeric Cohesion during Yeast Meiosis journal December 2004
Origins and evolution of the recA/RAD51 gene family: Evidence for ancient gene duplication and endosymbiotic gene transfer journal June 2006
The DNA mismatch-repair MLH3 protein interacts with MSH4 in meiotic cells, supporting a role for this MutL homolog in mammalian meiotic recombination journal July 2002
Identification of full genes and proteins of MCM9, a novel, vertebrate-specific member of the MCM2–8 protein family journal December 2005
Mammalian cyclin-dependent kinases journal November 2005
DNA Replication in Eukaryotic Cells journal June 2002
Minireview: Cyclin D1: Normal and Abnormal Functions journal December 2004
An atypical topoisomerase II from archaea with implications for meiotic recombination journal March 1997
Association between MSH4 (MutS homologue 4) and the DNA strand-exchange RAD51 and DMC1 proteins during mammalian meiosis journal December 2004
Cell-cycle control during meiotic maturation journal December 2003
Dynamic molecular linkers of the genome: the first decade of SMC proteins journal June 2005
Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 is essential for meiosis but not for mitotic cell division in mice journal August 2003
Contributions by MutL Homologues Mlh3 and Pms2 to DNA Mismatch Repair and Tumor Suppression in the Mouse journal October 2005
Topoisomerase III  and Bloom's helicase can resolve a mobile double Holliday junction substrate through convergent branch migration journal July 2006
Meiosis: cell-cycle controls shuffle and deal journal December 2004
Promotion of Rad51-dependent D-loop formation by yeast recombination factor Rdh54/Tid1 journal September 2000
The systematics of Australian Daphnia and Daphniopsis (Crustacea: Cladocera): a shared phylogenetic history transformed by habitat-specific rates of evolution: AUSTRALIAN DAPHNIA EVOLUTION journal October 2006
The Dissociation of Cohesin from Chromosomes in Prophase Is Regulated by Polo-like Kinase journal March 2002
Growth and Maturation in the Parthenogenetic Eggs of Daphnia magna Strauss journal January 1937
MrBayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models journal August 2003
The Origin of Centrosomes in Parthenogenetic Hymenopteran Insects journal April 2006
The Mutational Meltdown in Asexual Populations journal September 1993
REC, Drosophila MCM8, Drives Formation of Meiotic Crossovers journal January 2005
Diverse, endemic and polyphyletic clones in mixed populations of a freshwater snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) journal May 1995
Mammalian TIMELESS and Tipin are Evolutionarily Conserved Replication Fork-associated Factors journal February 2007
RecQ helicases: lessons from model organisms journal August 2006
The origins and early evolution of DNA mismatch repair genes—multiple horizontal gene transfers and co-evolution journal October 2007
DNA Helicases Required for Homologous Recombination and Repair of Damaged Replication Forks journal December 2006
Meiotic arrest and aneuploidy in MLH3-deficient mice journal July 2002
Condensins: Organizing and Segregating the Genome journal April 2005
Tid1/Rdh54 promotes colocalization of Rad51 and Dmc1 during meiotic recombination journal September 2000
MCM8 Is an MCM2-7-Related Protein that Functions as a DNA Helicase during Replication Elongation and Not Initiation journal February 2005
Discrete Small RNA-Generating Loci as Master Regulators of Transposon Activity in Drosophila journal March 2007
Shugoshin collaborates with protein phosphatase 2A to protect cohesin journal March 2006
Biogenesis and germline functions of piRNAs journal November 2007
Rad51 and Dmc1 Form Mixed Complexes Associated with Mouse Meiotic Chromosome Cores and Synaptonemal Complexes journal October 1999
Disseminating the Genome: Joining, Resolving, and Separating Sister Chromatids During Mitosis and Meiosis journal December 2001
Cohesins Determine the Attachment Manner of Kinetochores to Spindle Microtubules at Meiosis I in Fission Yeast journal June 2003
Identification of Two Proteins Required for Conjunction and Regular Segregation of Achiasmate Homologs in Drosophila Male Meiosis journal November 2005
A Timeless debate: resolving TIM's noncircadian roles with possible clock function journal January 2006
Stimulation of Dmc1-mediated DNA strand exchange by the human Rad54B protein journal August 2006
Roles of RecA homologues Rad51 and Dmc1 during meiotic recombination journal January 2004
The Sgs1 Helicase Regulates Chromosome Synapsis and Meiotic Crossing Over journal November 2003
Meiotic cohesins modulate chromosome compaction during meiotic prophase in fission yeast journal August 2006
RecA homologs Dmc1 and Rad51 interact to form multiple nuclear complexes prior to meiotic chromosome synapsis journal December 1994
RecQ helicases: caretakers of the genome journal March 2003
PARTHENOGENESIS, SEX AND CHROMOSOMES IN POTAMOPYRGUS journal January 1992
A candidate juvenoid hormone receptor cis-element in the Daphnia magna hb2 hemoglobin gene promoter journal March 2006
Smc5–Smc6 mediate DNA double-strand-break repair by promoting sister-chromatid recombination journal August 2006
Ameiotic recombination in asexual lineages of Daphnia journal November 2006
The Piwi-piRNA Pathway Provides an Adaptive Defense in the Transposon Arms Race journal November 2007
Kinetochore Orientation in Mitosis and Meiosis journal October 2004
Hybrid origin of a parthenogenetic genus?: HYBRID ORIGIN OF A PARTHENOGENETIC GENUS journal May 2005
Genetic Analysis of Chromosome Pairing, Recombination, and Cell Cycle Control during First Meiotic Prophase in Mammals journal March 2006
The Evolution of SMC Proteins: Phylogenetic Analysis and Structural Implications journal February 2004
Localization of the Genetic Determinants of Meiosis Suppression in Daphnia pulex journal September 2008
Kinase-Independent Function of Cyclin E journal January 2007
Evidence that Loading of Cohesin Onto Chromosomes Involves Opening of Its SMC Hinge journal November 2006
twin, a CCR4 homolog, regulates cyclin poly(A) tail length to permit Drosophila oogenesis journal February 2005
Evolutionary origin, diversification and specialization of eukaryotic MutS homolog mismatch repair proteins journal January 2000
Identification of hMutLβ, a Heterodimer of hMLH1 and hPMS1 journal November 1999
Hop2/Mnd1 acts on two critical steps in Dmc1-promoted homologous pairing journal July 2007
The Smc5–Smc6 complex and SUMO modification of Rad52 regulates recombinational repair at the ribosomal gene locus journal July 2007
The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins act in concert with Rad51 and Dmc1 in meiotic recombination journal April 2005
Restoration of mismatch repair to nuclear extracts of H6 colorectal tumor cells by a heterodimer of human MutL homologs. journal March 1995
The time course and chromosomal localization of recombination-related proteins at meiosis in the mouse are compatible with models that can resolve the early DNA-DNA interactions without reciprocal recombination journal April 2002
Karyologic observations on the maturation of the summer and winter Eggs of Daphnia pulex and Daphnia middendorffiana journal January 1972
Molecular and biological characterization of an isolate of the potyvirus passiflora virus Y naturally infecting soybean (Glycine max) in Brazil journal September 2022
DMC1: A meiosis-specific yeast homolog of E. coli recA required for recombination, synaptonemal complex formation, and cell cycle progression journal May 1992
Rad51 protein involved in repair and recombination in S. cerevisiae is a RecA-like protein journal May 1992
The Caenorhabditis elegans SCC-3 homologue is required for meiotic synapsis and for proper chromosome disjunction in mitosis and meiosis journal October 2003
Juvenile hormone agonists affect the occurrence of male Daphnia journal December 2003
Meiosis-Specific DNA Double-Strand Breaks Are Catalyzed by Spo11, a Member of a Widely Conserved Protein Family journal February 1997
Meiosis: polo, FEAR and the art of dividing reductionally journal August 2003
The Rad51 and Dmc1 recombinases: a non-identical twin relationship journal February 2001
The Hop2 Protein Has a Direct Role in Promoting Interhomolog Interactions during Mouse Meiosis journal December 2003
Sister chromatid cohesion: the cohesin cleavage model does not ring true journal June 2007
Novel Meiosis-Specific Isoform of Mammalian SMC1 journal October 2001
Differential Contributions of Mammalian Rad54 Paralogs to Recombination, DNA Damage Repair, and Meiosis journal February 2006
Eukaryotic MCM Proteins: Beyond Replication Initiation journal March 2004
Expression of the MutL Homologue hMLH3 in Human Cells and its Role in DNA Mismatch Repair journal December 2005
MicroRNA-25 Exerts an Oncogenic Function by Regulating the Ubiquitin Ligase Fbxw7 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma journal April 2021

Cited By (16)

PIWI genes and piRNAs are ubiquitously expressed in mollusks and show patterns of lineage-specific adaptation journal September 2018
Abortive meiosis in the oogenesis of parthenogenetic Daphnia pulex journal October 2010
Daphnia as an Emerging Epigenetic Model Organism journal January 2012
Targeted gene disruption by use of CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes in the water flea Daphnia pulex journal May 2018
The evolution of meiotic sex and its alternatives journal September 2016
The water flea Daphnia - a 'new' model system for ecology and evolution? journal January 2010
Sex in crowded places: population density regulates reproductive strategy journal December 2019
Clonal expansion behind a marine diatom bloom journal November 2017
Identification of the meiotic toolkit in diatoms and exploration of meiosis-specific SPO11 and RAD51 homologs in the sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta journal November 2015
Male meiosis in Crustacea: synapsis, recombination, epigenetics and fertility in Daphnia magna journal December 2015
The boule gene is essential for spermatogenesis of haploid insect male journal March 2015
The Epigenetic Repertoire of Daphnia magna Includes Modified Histones journal January 2012
Evolutionary study of duplications of the miRNA machinery in aphids associated with striking rate acceleration and changes in expression profiles journal November 2012
Not just another genome journal February 2011
Expansion of Genes Encoding piRNA-Associated Argonaute Proteins in the Pea Aphid: Diversification of Expression Profiles in Different Plastic Morphs journal December 2011
Gene Expression Analysis of Parthenogenetic Embryonic Development of the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, Suggests That Aphid Parthenogenesis Evolved from Meiotic Oogenesis journal December 2014