Our new preprint entitled “Genomic analyses of the Linum distyly supergene reveal convergent evolution at the molecular level” is now up on bioRxiv.

In this study, we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly of the distylous species Linum tenue, and use population genomic data to identify the distyly supergene. We show that hemizygosity and thrum-specific expression of S-linked genes, including a pistil-expressed candidate gene for style length, are major features of the Linum distyly S-locus supergene. We find a striking resemblance between the independently evolved Linum and Primula distyly supergenes in terms of genetic architecture, molecular evolution, and the assembly of the gene set at the supergene.

Gutiérrez-Valencia J, Fracassetti M, Berdan EL, Bunikis I, Soler L, Dainat J, Kutschera VE, Losvik A, Désamoré A, Hughes PW, Foroozani A, Laenen B, Pesquet E, Abdelaziz M, Vinnere Pettersson O, Nystedt B, Brennan A, Arroyo J, Slotte T. 2022. Genomic analyses of the Linum distyly supergene reveal convergent evolution at the molecular level. bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.27.493681