Structural variation of a sex‐linked region confers monoecy and implicates GATA15 as a master regulator of sex in Salix purpurea

Abstract

Summary The Salicaceae, including Populus and Salix, are dioecious perennials that utilize different sex determination systems. This family provides a useful system to better understand the evolution of dioecy and sex chromosomes. Here, a rare monoecious genotype of Salix purpurea, 94003, was self‐ and cross‐pollinated and progeny sex ratios were used to test hypotheses on possible mechanisms of sex determination. To delimit genomic regions associated with monoecious expression, the 94003 genome sequence was assembled and DNA‐ and RNA‐Seq of progeny inflorescences was performed. Based on alignments of progeny shotgun DNA sequences to the haplotype‐resolved monoecious 94003 genome assembly and reference male and female genomes, a 1.15 Mb sex‐linked region on Chr15W was confirmed to be absent in monecious plants. Inheritance of this structural variation is responsible for the loss of a male‐suppressing function in what would otherwise be genetic females (ZW), resulting in monoecy (ZWH or WWH), or lethality, if homozygous (WHWH). We present a refined, two‐gene sex determination model for Salix purpurea, mediated by ARR17 and GATA15 that is different from the single‐gene ARR17‐mediated system in the related genus Populus.