Asexual reproduction reduces transposable element load in experimental yeast populations

Abstract
Data availability
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Abstract

Theory predicts that sexual reproduction can either facilitate or restrain transposable element (TE) accumulation by providing TEs with a means of spreading to all individuals in a population, versus facilitating TE load reduction via purifying selection. By quantifying genomic TE loads over time in experimental sexual and asexual Saccharomyces cerevisiae populations, we provide direct evidence that TE loads decrease rapidly under asexual reproduction.. We show, using simulations, that this reduction may occus via evolution of TE activity, most likely via increased excision rates. Thus, sex is a major driver of genomic TE loads and at the root of the success of TEs.

Data availability

Raw read data of the experiment is available at SRA (BioProject identifier PRJNA308843). All data processing and analyses scripts as well as the simulator together with explanations are available at https://github.com/KamilSJaron/reproductive_mode_TE_dynamics.

The following previously published data sets were used

(2016) Sex speeds adaptation by altering the dynamics of molecular evolution
NCBI BioProject, PRJNA308843.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA308843/

Article and author information

Author details

Jens Bast

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

For correspondence
mail@jensbast.com

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-0017-3860
Kamil S Jaron

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1470-5450
Donovan Schuseil

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Denis Roze

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Roscoff, France

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Tanja Schwander

Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (BA 5800/1-1)

Jens Bast

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (PP00P3_17062)

Tanja Schwander

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (PP00P3_139013)

Tanja Schwander

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (BA 5800/2-1)

Jens Bast

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.