Evolutionary and developmental consequences of asexual genome evolution

• Applicant: Dr. Jens Bast
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology ; Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458953049

The transition to asexuality in animals has many profound evolutionary and developmental implications. In contrast to many previous studies, which focused exclusively on the benefits of sex, the aim of the proposed project is to specifically understand the genomic consequences of the loss of sex and how molecular programs change to facilitate embryonic development without prior male input. To this end, we will firstly study how a release from constraints of sex manifests into the peculiar genomic features of asexuality, and promotes genomic plasticity and evolutionary innovation. Secondly, we will analyse which changes to the molecular machinery of embryonic development are necessary for a successful transition to and long-term maintenance of asexuality, and if these changes are parallel or convergent in distantly related taxa. The proposed project is based on generating (population-) genomic data using novel long-read, linked-read, and chromosome conformation capture techniques, as well as single-molecule RNA-Seq methods. It thus relies on the focus of expertise of two sequencing centers (the Cologne Center for Genomics and the Genomics and Transcriptomics Laboratory in Düsseldorf) embedded into the West German Genome Center. To disentangle lineage-specific traits from true consequences of asexuality we will compare replicates of independently derived asexual lineages to closely related sexual species, i.e., species from several nematode and oribatid mite genera. In this project, the respective strengths in evolutionary population genomics and evolution of development of two recently established groups at the University of Cologne will be combined.In summary, the proposed project will establish novel methods for high-quality, single individual genomics in non-model organisms, and provide invaluable insights into the evolution of asexual reproduction.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Philipp Schiffer