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Selfing in Haploid Plants and Efficacy of Selection: Codon Usage Bias in the Model Moss Physcomitrella patens.

  • Szövényi P Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Ullrich KK Plant Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Marburg, Germany.
  • Rensing SA Plant Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Marburg, Germany.
  • Lang D Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
  • van Gessel N Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany.
  • Stenøien HK NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway.
  • Conti E Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Reski R BIOSS-Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany.
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  • 2017-05-27
Published in:
  • Genome biology and evolution. - 2017
codon usage
effective population size
genetic drift
inbreeding
moss
natural selection
Bryopsida
Codon
Gene Expression
Genetic Drift
Haploidy
Selection, Genetic
Self-Fertilization
English A long-term reduction in effective population size will lead to major shift in genome evolution. In particular, when effective population size is small, genetic drift becomes dominant over natural selection. The onset of self-fertilization is one evolutionary event considerably reducing effective size of populations. Theory predicts that this reduction should be more dramatic in organisms capable for haploid than for diploid selfing. Although theoretically well-grounded, this assertion received mixed experimental support. Here, we test this hypothesis by analyzing synonymous codon usage bias of genes in the model moss Physcomitrella patens frequently undergoing haploid selfing. In line with population genetic theory, we found that the effect of natural selection on synonymous codon usage bias is very weak. Our conclusion is supported by four independent lines of evidence: 1) Very weak or nonsignificant correlation between gene expression and codon usage bias, 2) no increased codon usage bias in more broadly expressed genes, 3) no evidence that codon usage bias would constrain synonymous and nonsynonymous divergence, and 4) predominant role of genetic drift on synonymous codon usage predicted by a model-based analysis. These findings show striking similarity to those observed in AT-rich genomes with weak selection for optimal codon usage and GC content overall. Our finding is in contrast to a previous study reporting adaptive codon usage bias in the moss P. patens.
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  • English
Open access status
gold
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/47589
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