Contrasted sex chromosome evolution in primates with and without sexual dimorphism

Abstract

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWSex chromosomes are typically comprised of a non-recombining region and a recombining pseudoautosomal region. Accurately quantifying the relative size of these regions is critical for sex chromosome biology both from a functional (i.e. number of sex-linked genes) and evolutionary perspective (i.e. extent of Y degeneration and X-Y heteromorphy). The evolution of the pseudoautosomal boundary (PAB) - the limit between the recombining and the non-recombining regions of the sex chromosomes - is well documented in haplorrhines (apes and monkeys) but not in strepsirrhines (lemurs and lorises), which represent almost 30% of all primates. Here we studied the PAB of seven species representing the main strepsirrhine lineages by sequencing a male and a female genome in each species and using sex differences in coverage to identify the PAB. We found that during primate evolution, the PAB has remained unchanged in strepsirrhines whereas several recombination suppression events moved the PAB and shortened the pseudoautosomal region in haplorrhines. Strepsirrhines are well known to have much lower sexual dimorphism than haplorrhines. We suggest that mutations with antagonistic effects between males and females have driven recombination suppression and PAB evolution in haplorrhines. Our work supports the view that sexually antagonistic mutations have influenced the evolution of sex chromosomes in primates.