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Miller SM, Stuart KC, Burke NW, Rollins LA, Bonduriansky R. Genetic and Phenotypic Consequences of Local Transitions between Sexual and Parthenogenetic Reproduction in the Wild. Am Nat 2024; 203:73-91. [PMID: 38207137 DOI: 10.1086/727511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractTransitions from sexual to asexual reproduction have occurred in numerous lineages, but it remains unclear why asexual populations rarely persist. In facultatively parthenogenetic animals, all-female populations can arise when males are absent or become extinct, and such populations could help to understand the genetic and phenotypic changes that occur in the initial stages of transitions to asexuality. We investigated a naturally occurring spatial mosaic of mixed-sex and all-female populations of the facultatively parthenogenetic Australian phasmid Megacrania batesii. Analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms indicated multiple independent transitions between reproductive modes. All-female populations had much lower heterozygosity and allelic diversity than mixed-sex populations, but we found few consistent differences in fitness-related traits between population types. All-female populations exhibited more frequent and severe deformities in their (flight-incapable) wings but did not show higher rates of appendage loss. All-female populations also harbored more ectoparasites in swamp (but not beach) habitats. Reproductive mode explained little variation in female body size, fecundity, or egg hatch rate. Our results suggest that transitions to parthenogenetic reproduction can lead to dramatic genetic changes with little immediate effect on performance. All-female M. batesii populations appear to consist of high-fitness genotypes that might be able to thrive for many generations in relatively constant and benign environments but could be vulnerable to environmental challenges, such as increased parasite abundance.
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2
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Archetti M. Soft selection reduces loss of heterozygosity in asexual reproduction. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1313-1327. [PMID: 37584223 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive value of sexual reproduction is still debated in evolutionary theory. It has been proposed that the advantage of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction is to promote genetic diversity, to prevent the accumulation of harmful mutations or to preserve heterozygosity. Since these hypothetical advantages depend on the type of asexual reproduction, understanding how selection affects the taxonomic distribution of each type could help us discriminate between existing hypotheses. Here, I argue that soft selection, competition among embryos or offspring in selection arenas prior to the hard selection of the adult phase, reduces loss of heterozygosity in certain types of asexual reproduction. Since loss of heterozygosity leads to the unmasking of recessive deleterious mutations in the progeny of asexual individuals, soft selection facilitates the evolution of these types of asexual reproduction. Using a population genetics model, I calculate how loss of heterozygosity affects fitness for different types of apomixis and automixis, and I show that soft selection significantly reduces loss of heterozygosity, hence increases fitness, in apomixis with suppression of the first meiotic division and in automixis with central fusion, the most common types of asexual reproduction. Therefore, if sexual reproduction evolved to preserve heterozygosity, soft selection should be associated with these types of asexual reproduction. I discuss the evidence for this prediction and how this and other observations on the distribution of different types of asexual reproduction in nature is consistent with the heterozygosity hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Archetti
- Department of Biology, W210 MSC, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Escoriza D. Success factors of great oceanic dispersers: Case of Squamata in the Pacific Ocean. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Escoriza
- GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology University of Girona, Campus de Montillivi Girona Spain
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4
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Jaron KS, Parker DJ, Anselmetti Y, Tran Van P, Bast J, Dumas Z, Figuet E, François CM, Hayward K, Rossier V, Simion P, Robinson-Rechavi M, Galtier N, Schwander T. Convergent consequences of parthenogenesis on stick insect genomes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabg3842. [PMID: 35196080 PMCID: PMC8865771 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The shift from sexual reproduction to parthenogenesis has occurred repeatedly in animals, but how the loss of sex affects genome evolution remains poorly understood. We generated reference genomes for five independently evolved parthenogenetic species in the stick insect genus Timema and their closest sexual relatives. Using these references and population genomic data, we show that parthenogenesis results in an extreme reduction of heterozygosity and often leads to genetically uniform populations. We also find evidence for less effective positive selection in parthenogenetic species, suggesting that sex is ubiquitous in natural populations because it facilitates fast rates of adaptation. Parthenogenetic species did not show increased transposable element (TE) accumulation, likely because there is little TE activity in the genus. By using replicated sexual-parthenogenetic comparisons, our study reveals how the absence of sex affects genome evolution in natural populations, providing empirical support for the negative consequences of parthenogenesis as predicted by theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil S. Jaron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
| | - Darren J. Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
| | | | - Patrick Tran Van
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jens Bast
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emeric Figuet
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Keith Hayward
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Victor Rossier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Simion
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Galtier
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
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5
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Archetti M. Evidence from automixis with inverted meiosis for the maintenance of sex by loss of complementation. J Evol Biol 2021; 35:40-50. [PMID: 34927297 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The adaptive value of sexual reproduction is still debated. A short-term disadvantage of asexual reproduction is loss of heterozygosity, which leads to the unmasking of recessive deleterious mutations. The cost of this loss of complementation is predicted to be higher than the twofold cost of meiosis for most types of asexual reproduction. Automixis with terminal fusion of sister nuclei is especially vulnerable to the effect of loss of complementation. It is found, however, in some taxa including oribatid mites, the most prominent group of ancient asexuals. Here, I show that automixis with terminal fusion is stable if it is associated with inverted meiosis and that this appears to be the case in nature, notably in oribatid mites. The existence of automixis with terminal fusion, and its co-occurrence with inverted meiosis, therefore, is consistent with the hypothesis that loss of complementation is important in the evolution of sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Archetti
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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Comprehensive analysis of male-free reproduction in Monomorium triviale (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246710. [PMID: 33914749 PMCID: PMC8084239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report comprehensive evidence for obligatory thelytokous parthenogenesis in an ant Monomorium triviale. This species is characterized by distinct queen–worker dimorphism with strict reproductive division of labor: queens produce both workers and new queens without mating, whereas workers are completely sterile. We collected 333 nests of this species from 14 localities and three laboratory-reared populations in Japan. All wild queens dissected had no sperm in their spermathecae. Laboratory observation confirmed that virgin queens produced workers without mating. Furthermore, microsatellite genotyping showed identical heterozygous genotypes between mothers and their respective daughters, suggesting an extremely low probability of sexual reproduction. Microbial analysis detected no bacterial genera that are known to induce thelytokous parthenogenesis in Hymenoptera. Finally, the lack of variation in partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA among individuals sampled from across Japan suggests recent rapid spread or selective sweep. M. triviale would be a promising model system of superorganism-like adaptation through comparative analysis with well-studied sexual congeners, including the pharaoh ant M. pharaonis.
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7
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Jalinsky J, Logsdon JM, Neiman M. Male phenotypes in a female framework: Evidence for degeneration in sperm produced by male snails from asexual lineages. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1050-1059. [PMID: 32304112 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
How changes in selective regimes affect trait evolution is an important open biological question. We take advantage of naturally occurring and repeated transitions from sexual to asexual reproduction in a New Zealand freshwater snail species, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, to address how evolution in an asexual context-including the potential for relaxed selection on male-specific traits-influences sperm morphology. The occasional production of male offspring by the otherwise all-female asexual P. antipodarum lineages affords a unique and powerful opportunity to assess the fate of sperm traits in a context where males are exceedingly rare. These comparisons revealed that the sperm produced by 'asexual' males are markedly distinct from sexual counterparts. We also found that the asexual male sperm harboured markedly higher phenotypic variation and was much more likely to be morphologically abnormal. Together, these data suggest that transitions to asexual reproduction might be irreversible, at least in part because male function is likely to be compromised. These results are also consistent with a scenario where relaxed selection and/or mutation accumulation in the absence of sex translates into rapid trait degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Jalinsky
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - John M Logsdon
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Maurine Neiman
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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8
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Morgan-Richards M, Langton-Myers SS, Trewick SA. Loss and gain of sexual reproduction in the same stick insect. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3929-3941. [PMID: 31386772 PMCID: PMC6852293 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The outcome of competition between different reproductive strategies within a single species can be used to infer selective advantage of the winning strategy. Where multiple populations have independently lost or gained sexual reproduction it is possible to investigate whether the advantage is contingent on local conditions. In the New Zealand stick insect Clitarchus hookeri, three populations are distinguished by recent change in reproductive strategy and we determine their likely origins. One parthenogenetic population has established in the United Kingdom and we provide evidence that sexual reproduction has been lost in this population. We identify the sexual population from which the parthenogenetic population was derived, but show that the UK females have a post‐mating barrier to fertilisation. We also demonstrate that two sexual populations have recently arisen in New Zealand within the natural range of the mtDNA lineage that otherwise characterizes parthenogenesis in this species. We infer independent origins of males at these two locations using microsatellite genotypes. In one population, a mixture of local and nonlocal alleles suggested males were the result of invasion. Males in another population were most probably the result of loss of an X chromosome that produced a male phenotype in situ. Two successful switches in reproductive strategy suggest local competitive advantage for outcrossing over parthenogenetic reproduction. Clitarchus hookeri provides remarkable evidence of repeated and rapid changes in reproductive strategy, with competitive outcomes dependent on local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steven A Trewick
- Wildlife & Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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9
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Neiman M, Meirmans PG, Schwander T, Meirmans S. Sex in the wild: How and why field-based studies contribute to solving the problem of sex. Evolution 2018; 72:1194-1203. [PMID: 29645091 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Why and how sexual reproduction is maintained in natural populations, the so-called "queen of problems," is a key unanswered question in evolutionary biology. Recent efforts to solve the problem of sex have often emphasized results generated from laboratory settings. Here, we use a survey of representative "sex in the wild" literature to review and synthesize the outcomes of empirical studies focused on natural populations. Especially notable results included relatively strong support for mechanisms involving niche differentiation and a near absence of attention to adaptive evolution. Support for a major role of parasites is largely confined to a single study system, and only three systems contribute most of the support for mutation accumulation hypotheses. This evidence for taxon specificity suggests that outcomes of particular studies should not be more broadly extrapolated without extreme caution. We conclude by suggesting steps forward, highlighting tests of niche differentiation mechanisms in both laboratory and nature, and empirical evaluation of adaptive evolution-focused hypotheses in the wild. We also emphasize the value of leveraging the growing body of genomic resources for nonmodel taxa to address whether the clearance of harmful mutations and spread of beneficial variants in natural populations proceeds as expected under various hypotheses for sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurine Neiman
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Patrick G Meirmans
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Meirmans
- Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Toman J, Flegr J. General environmental heterogeneity as the explanation of sexuality? Comparative study shows that ancient asexual taxa are associated with both biotically and abiotically homogeneous environments. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:973-991. [PMID: 29375771 PMCID: PMC5773305 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological theories of sexual reproduction assume that sexuality is advantageous in certain conditions, for example, in biotically or abiotically more heterogeneous environments. Such theories thus could be tested by comparative studies. However, the published results of these studies are rather unconvincing. Here, we present the results of a new comparative study based exclusively on the ancient asexual clades. The association with biotically or abiotically homogeneous environments in these asexual clades was compared with the same association in their sister, or closely related, sexual clades. Using the conservative definition of ancient asexuals (i.e., age >1 million years), we found eight pairs of taxa of sexual and asexual species, six differing in the heterogeneity of their inhabited environment on the basis of available data. The difference between the environmental type associated with the sexual and asexual species was then compared in an exact binomial test. The results showed that the majority of ancient asexual clades tend to be associated with biotically, abiotically, or both biotically and abiotically more homogeneous environments than their sexual controls. In the exploratory part of the study, we found that the ancient asexuals often have durable resting stages, enabling life in subjectively homogeneous environments, live in the absence of intense biotic interactions, and are very often sedentary, inhabiting benthos, and soil. The consequences of these findings for the ecological theories of sexual reproduction are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Toman
- Faculty of ScienceLaboratory of Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of Philosophy and History of SciencesCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Flegr
- Faculty of ScienceLaboratory of Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of Philosophy and History of SciencesCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
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11
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Haag CR, Theodosiou L, Zahab R, Lenormand T. Low recombination rates in sexual species and sex-asex transitions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160461. [PMID: 29109224 PMCID: PMC5698623 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In most sexual, diploid eukaryotes, at least one crossover occurs between each pair of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, presumably in order to ensure proper segregation. Well-known exceptions to this rule are species in which one sex does not recombine and specific chromosomes lacking crossover. We review other possible exceptions, including species with chromosome maps of less than 50 cM in one or both sexes. We discuss the idea that low recombination rates may favour sex-asex transitions, or, alternatively may be a consequence of it. We then show that a yet undescribed species of brine shrimp Artemia from Kazakhstan (A sp. Kazakhstan), the closest known relative of the asexual Artemia parthenogenetica, has one of the shortest genetic linkage maps known. Based on a family of 42 individuals and 589 RAD markers, we find that many linkage groups are considerably shorter than 50 cM, suggesting either no obligate crossover or crossovers concentrated at terminal positions with little effect on recombination. We contrast these findings with the published map of the more distantly related sexual congener, A. franciscana, and conclude that the study of recombination in non-model systems is important to understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination rate variation in sexual organisms'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph R Haag
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-École Pratique des Hautes Études, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Loukas Theodosiou
- Research Group for Community Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Roula Zahab
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-École Pratique des Hautes Études, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Thomas Lenormand
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-École Pratique des Hautes Études, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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12
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Lenormand T, Engelstädter J, Johnston SE, Wijnker E, Haag CR. Evolutionary mysteries in meiosis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2016.0001. [PMID: 27619705 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a key event of sexual life cycles in eukaryotes. Its mechanistic details have been uncovered in several model organisms, and most of its essential features have received various and often contradictory evolutionary interpretations. In this perspective, we present an overview of these often 'weird' features. We discuss the origin of meiosis (origin of ploidy reduction and recombination, two-step meiosis), its secondary modifications (in polyploids or asexuals, inverted meiosis), its importance in punctuating life cycles (meiotic arrests, epigenetic resetting, meiotic asymmetry, meiotic fairness) and features associated with recombination (disjunction constraints, heterochiasmy, crossover interference and hotspots). We present the various evolutionary scenarios and selective pressures that have been proposed to account for these features, and we highlight that their evolutionary significance often remains largely mysterious. Resolving these mysteries will likely provide decisive steps towards understanding why sex and recombination are found in the majority of eukaryotes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lenormand
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Jan Engelstädter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Susan E Johnston
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Erik Wijnker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christoph R Haag
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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13
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Levitis DA, Zimmerman K, Pringle A. Is meiosis a fundamental cause of inviability among sexual and asexual plants and animals? Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170939. [PMID: 28768890 PMCID: PMC5563809 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in viability between asexually and sexually generated offspring strongly influence the selective advantage and therefore the prevalence of sexual reproduction (sex). However, no general principle predicts when sexual offspring will be more viable than asexual offspring. We hypothesize that when any kind of reproduction is based on a more complex cellular process, it will encompass more potential failure points, and therefore lower offspring viability. Asexual reproduction (asex) can be simpler than sex, when offspring are generated using only mitosis. However, when asex includes meiosis and meiotic restitution, gamete production is more complex than in sex. We test our hypothesis by comparing the viability of asexual and closely related sexual offspring across a wide range of plants and animals, and demonstrate that meiotic asex does result in lower viability than sex; without meiosis, asex is mechanistically simple and provides higher viability than sex. This phylogenetically robust pattern is supported in 42 of 44 comparisons drawn from diverse plants and animals, and is not explained by the other variables included in our model. Other mechanisms may impact viability, such as effects of reproductive mode on heterozygosity and subsequent viability, but we propose the complexity of cellular processes of reproduction, particularly meiosis, as a fundamental cause of early developmental failure and mortality. Meiosis, the leading cause of inviability in humans, emerges as a likely explanation of offspring inviability among diverse eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Levitis
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Biology, Bates College, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA
| | - Kolea Zimmerman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Ginkgo Bioworks, 25-27 Drydock Avenue 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Anne Pringle
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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14
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Vogt G. Facilitation of environmental adaptation and evolution by epigenetic phenotype variation: insights from clonal, invasive, polyploid, and domesticated animals. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2017; 3:dvx002. [PMID: 29492304 PMCID: PMC5804542 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvx002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence, particularly from plants, that epigenetic mechanisms can contribute to environmental adaptation and evolution. The present article provides an overview on this topic for animals and highlights the special suitability of clonal, invasive, hybrid, polyploid, and domesticated species for environmental and evolutionary epigenetics. Laboratory and field studies with asexually reproducing animals have shown that epigenetically diverse phenotypes can be produced from the same genome either by developmental stochasticity or environmental induction. The analysis of invasions revealed that epigenetic phenotype variation may help to overcome genetic barriers typically associated with invasions such as bottlenecks and inbreeding. Research with hybrids and polyploids established that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in consolidation of speciation by contributing to reproductive isolation and restructuring of the genome in the neo-species. Epigenetic mechanisms may even have the potential to trigger speciation but evidence is still meager. The comparison of domesticated animals and their wild ancestors demonstrated heritability and selectability of phenotype modulating DNA methylation patterns. Hypotheses, model predictions, and empirical results are presented to explain how epigenetic phenotype variation could facilitate adaptation and speciation. Clonal laboratory lineages, monoclonal invaders, and adaptive radiations of different evolutionary age seem particularly suitable to empirically test the proposed ideas. A respective research agenda is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Vogt
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Chen P, Li Y, Zhao L, Hou Z, Yan M, Hu B, Liu Y, Azam SM, Zhang Z, Rahman ZU, Liu L, Qin Y. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Gene Family in Pineapple ( Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) Reveal the Role of AcABCG38 in Pollen Development. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:2150. [PMID: 29312399 PMCID: PMC5742209 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) cultivation commonly relies on asexual reproduction which is easily impeded by many factors in agriculture production. Sexual reproduction might be a novel approach to improve the pineapple planting. However, genes controlling pineapple sexual reproduction are still remain elusive. In different organisms a conserved superfamily proteins known as ATP binding cassette (ABC) participate in various biological processes. Whereas, till today the ABC gene family has not been identified in pineapple. Here 100 ABC genes were identified in the pineapple genome and grouped into eight subfamilies (5 ABCAs, 20 ABCBs, 16 ABCCs, 2 ABCDs, one ABCEs, 5 ABCFs, 42 ABCGs and 9 ABCIs). Gene expression profiling revealed the dynamic expression pattern of ABC gene family in various tissues and different developmental stages. AcABCA5, AcABCB6, AcABCC4, AcABCC7, AcABCC9, AcABCG26, AcABCG38 and AcABCG42 exhibited preferential expression in ovule and stamen. Over-expression of AcABCG38 in the Arabidopsis double mutant abcg1-2abcg16-2 partially restored its pollen abortion defects, indicating that AcABCG38 plays important roles in pollen development. Our study on ABC gene family in pineapple provides useful information for developing sexual pineapple plantation which could be utilized to improve pineapple agricultural production.
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Tilquin A, Kokko H. What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150538. [PMID: 27619701 PMCID: PMC5031622 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that sexual reproduction is difficult to maintain if asexuality is an option, yet sex is very common. To understand why, it is important to pay attention to repeatably occurring conditions that favour transitions to, or persistence of, asexuality. Geographic parthenogenesis is a term that has been applied to describe a large variety of patterns where sexual and related asexual forms differ in their geographic distribution. Often asexuality is stated to occur in a habitat that is, in some sense, marginal, but the interpretation differs across studies: parthenogens might not only predominate near the margin of the sexuals' distribution, but might also extend far beyond the sexual range; they may be disproportionately found in newly colonizable areas (e.g. areas previously glaciated), or in habitats where abiotic selection pressures are relatively stronger than biotic ones (e.g. cold, dry). Here, we review the various patterns proposed in the literature, the hypotheses put forward to explain them, and the assumptions they rely on. Surprisingly, few mathematical models consider geographic parthenogenesis as their focal question, but all models for the evolution of sex could be evaluated in this framework if the (often ecological) causal factors vary predictably with geography. We also recommend broadening the taxa studied beyond the traditional favourites.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Tilquin
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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Takacs-Vesbach C, King K, Van Horn D, Larkin K, Neiman M. Distinct Bacterial Microbiomes in Sexual and Asexual Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand Freshwater Snail. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161050. [PMID: 27563725 PMCID: PMC5001651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Different reproductive strategies and the transition to asexuality can be associated with microbial symbionts. Whether such a link exists within mollusks has never been evaluated. We took the first steps towards addressing this possibility by performing pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes associated with Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand freshwater snail. A diverse set of 60 tissue collections from P. antipodarum that were genetically and geographically distinct and either obligately sexual or asexual were included, which allowed us to evaluate whether reproductive mode was associated with a particular bacterial community. 2624 unique operational taxonomic units (OTU, 97% DNA similarity) were detected, which were distributed across ~30 phyla. While alpha diversity metrics varied little among individual samples, significant differences in bacterial community composition and structure were detected between sexual and asexual snails, as well as among snails from different lakes and genetic backgrounds. The mean dissimilarity of the bacterial communities between the sexual and asexual P. antipodarum was 90%, largely driven by the presence of Rickettsiales in sexual snails and Rhodobacter in asexual snails. Our study suggests that there might be a link between reproductive mode and the bacterial microbiome of P. antipodarum, though a causal connection requires additional study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Takacs-Vesbach
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kayla King
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Van Horn
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Katelyn Larkin
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Maurine Neiman
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
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18
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Lavanchy G, Strehler M, Llanos Roman MN, Lessard-Therrien M, Humbert JY, Dumas Z, Jalvingh K, Ghali K, Fontcuberta García-Cuenca A, Zijlstra B, Arlettaz R, Schwander T. Habitat heterogeneity favors asexual reproduction in natural populations of grassthrips. Evolution 2016; 70:1780-90. [PMID: 27346066 PMCID: PMC5129508 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Explaining the overwhelming success of sex among eukaryotes is difficult given the obvious costs of sex relative to asexuality. Different studies have shown that sex can provide benefits in spatially heterogeneous environments under specific conditions, but whether spatial heterogeneity commonly contributes to the maintenance of sex in natural populations remains unknown. We experimentally manipulated habitat heterogeneity for sexual and asexual thrips lineages in natural populations and under seminatural mesocosm conditions by varying the number of hostplants available to these herbivorous insects. Asexual lineages rapidly replaced the sexual ones, independently of the level of habitat heterogeneity in mesocosms. In natural populations, the success of sexual thrips decreased with increasing habitat heterogeneity, with sexual thrips apparently only persisting in certain types of hostplant communities. Our results illustrate how genetic diversity-based mechanisms can favor asexuality instead of sex when sexual lineages co-occur with genetically variable asexual lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Lavanchy
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Marie Strehler
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Noemi Llanos Roman
- Graduate School-Doctoral program in Biomedical Sciences, National University of Trujillo, Trujillo, Peru
| | - Malie Lessard-Therrien
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Yves Humbert
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Jalvingh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Karim Ghali
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Bart Zijlstra
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Fontcuberta García-Cuenca A, Dumas Z, Schwander T. Extreme genetic diversity in asexual grass thrips populations. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:887-99. [PMID: 26864612 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The continuous generation of genetic variation has been proposed as one of the main factors explaining the maintenance of sexual reproduction in nature. However, populations of asexual individuals may attain high levels of genetic diversity through within-lineage diversification, replicate transitions to asexuality from sexual ancestors and migration. How these mechanisms affect genetic variation in populations of closely related sexual and asexual taxa can therefore provide insights into the role of genetic diversity for the maintenance of sexual reproduction. Here, we evaluate patterns of intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity in sexual and asexual populations of Aptinothrips rufus grass thrips. Asexual A. rufus populations are found throughout the world, whereas sexual populations appear to be confined to few locations in the Mediterranean region. We found that asexual A. rufus populations are characterized by extremely high levels of genetic diversity, both in comparison with their sexual relatives and in comparison with other asexual species. Migration is extensive among asexual populations over large geographic distances, whereas close sexual populations are strongly isolated from each other. The combination of extensive migration with replicate evolution of asexual lineages, and a past demographic expansion in at least one of them, generated high local clone diversities in A. rufus. These high clone diversities in asexual populations may mimic certain benefits conferred by sex via genetic diversity and could help explain the extreme success of asexual A. rufus populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Z Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - T Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Larkin K, Tucci C, Neiman M. Effects of polyploidy and reproductive mode on life history trait expression. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:765-78. [PMID: 26865964 PMCID: PMC4739562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ploidy elevation is increasingly recognized as a common and important source of genomic variation. Even so, the consequences and biological significance of polyploidy remain unclear, especially in animals. Here, our goal was to identify potential life history costs and benefits of polyploidy by conducting a large multiyear common garden experiment in Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a New Zealand freshwater snail that is a model system for the study of ploidy variation, sexual reproduction, host-parasite coevolution, and invasion ecology. Sexual diploid and asexual triploid and tetraploid P. antipodarum frequently coexist, allowing for powerful direct comparisons across ploidy levels and reproductive modes. Asexual reproduction and polyploidy are very often associated in animals, allowing us to also use these comparisons to address the maintenance of sex, itself one of the most important unresolved questions in evolutionary biology. Our study revealed that sexual diploid P. antipodarum grow and mature substantially more slowly than their asexual polyploid counterparts. We detected a strong negative correlation between the rate of growth and age at reproductive maturity, suggesting that the relatively early maturation of asexual polyploid P. antipodarum is driven by relatively rapid growth. The absence of evidence for life history differences between triploid and tetraploid asexuals indicates that ploidy elevation is unlikely to underlie the differences in trait values that we detected between sexual and asexual snails. Finally, we found that sexual P. antipodarum did not experience discernable phenotypic variance-related benefits of sex and were more likely to die before achieving reproductive maturity than the asexuals. Taken together, these results suggest that under benign conditions, polyploidy does not impose obvious life history costs in P. antipodarum and that sexual P. antipodarum persist despite substantial life history disadvantages relative to their asexual counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn Larkin
- Department of BiologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa52242
| | - Claire Tucci
- Department of BiologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa52242
| | - Maurine Neiman
- Department of BiologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa52242
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21
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Vogt G, Falckenhayn C, Schrimpf A, Schmid K, Hanna K, Panteleit J, Helm M, Schulz R, Lyko F. The marbled crayfish as a paradigm for saltational speciation by autopolyploidy and parthenogenesis in animals. Biol Open 2015; 4:1583-94. [PMID: 26519519 PMCID: PMC4728364 DOI: 10.1242/bio.014241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The parthenogenetic all-female marbled crayfish is a novel research model and potent invader of freshwater ecosystems. It is a triploid descendant of the sexually reproducing slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, but its taxonomic status has remained unsettled. By cross-breeding experiments and parentage analysis we show here that marbled crayfish and P. fallax are reproductively separated. Both crayfish copulate readily, suggesting that the reproductive barrier is set at the cytogenetic rather than the behavioural level. Analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes of marbled crayfish from laboratory lineages and wild populations demonstrates genetic identity and indicates a single origin. Flow cytometric comparison of DNA contents of haemocytes and analysis of nuclear microsatellite loci confirm triploidy and suggest autopolyploidisation as its cause. Global DNA methylation is significantly reduced in marbled crayfish implying the involvement of molecular epigenetic mechanisms in its origination. Morphologically, both crayfish are very similar but growth and fecundity are considerably larger in marbled crayfish, making it a different animal with superior fitness. These data and the high probability of a divergent future evolution of the marbled crayfish and P. fallax clusters suggest that marbled crayfish should be considered as an independent asexual species. Our findings also establish the P. fallax-marbled crayfish pair as a novel paradigm for rare chromosomal speciation by autopolyploidy and parthenogenesis in animals and for saltational evolution in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Vogt
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cassandra Falckenhayn
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Schrimpf
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Katharina Schmid
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina Hanna
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jörn Panteleit
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Frank Lyko
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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22
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Hartfield M. Evolutionary genetic consequences of facultative sex and outcrossing. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:5-22. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Hartfield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
- Bioinformatics Research Centre; University of Aarhus; Aarhus Denmark
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23
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Abstract
The high prevalence of sexual reproduction is considered a paradox mainly for two reasons. First, asexuals should enjoy various growth benefits because they seemingly rid themselves of the many inefficiencies of sexual reproduction-the so-called costs of sex. Second, there seems to be no lack of asexual origins because losses of sexual reproduction have been described in almost every larger eukaryotic taxon. Current attempts to resolve this paradox concentrate on a few hypotheses that provide universal benefits that would compensate for these costs and give sexual reproduction a net advantage. However, are new asexual lineages really those powerful invaders that could quickly displace their sexual ancestors? Research on the costs of sex indicates that sex is often stabilized by highly lineage-specific mechanisms. Two main categories can be distinguished. First are beneficial traits that evolved within a particular species and became tightly associated with sex (e.g., a mating system that involves sexual selection, or a sexual diapausing stage that allows survival through harsh periods). If such traits are absent in asexuals, simple growth efficiency considerations will not capture the fitness benefits gained by skipping sexual reproduction. Second, lineage-specific factors might prevent asexuals from reaching their full potential (e.g., dependence on fertilization in sperm-dependent parthenogens). Such observations suggest that the costs of sex are highly variable and often lower than theoretical considerations suggest. This has implications for the magnitude of universal benefits required to resolve the paradox of sex.
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24
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Bromham L, Hua X, Cardillo M. Detecting Macroevolutionary Self-Destruction from Phylogenies. Syst Biol 2015; 65:109-27. [PMID: 26454872 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syv062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses have lent support to the concept of lineage selection: that biological lineages can have heritable traits that influence their capacity to persist and diversify, and thereby affect their representation in biodiversity. While many discussions have focused on "positive" lineage selection, where stably heritable properties of lineages enhance their diversification rate, there are also intriguing examples that seem to represent "negative" lineage selection, where traits reduce the likelihood that a lineage will persist or speciate. In this article, we test whether a particular pattern of negative lineage selection is detectable from the distributions of the trait on a phylogeny. "Self-destructive" traits are those that arise often but then disappear again because they confer either a raised extinction rate or they are prone to a high rate of trait loss. For such a trait, the reconstructed origins will tend to be dispersed across the tips of the phylogeny, rather than defining large clades of related lineages that all share the trait. We examine the utility of four possible measures of "tippiness" as potential indicators of macroevolutionary self-destruction, applying them to phylogenies on which trait evolution has been simulated under different combinations of parameters for speciation, extinction, trait gain, and trait loss. We use an efficient simulation approach that starts with the required number of tips with and without the trait and uses a model to work "backwards" to construct different possible trees that result in that set of tips. We then apply these methods to a number of case studies: salt tolerance in grasses, color polymorphism in birds of prey, and selfing in nightshades. We find that the relative age of species, measured from tip length, can indicate a reduced speciation rate but does not identify traits that increase the extinction rate or the trait loss rate. We show that it is possible to detect cases of macroevolutionary self-destruction by considering the number of tips with the trait that arise from each inferred origin, and the degree to which the trait is scattered across the phylogeny. These metrics, and the methods we present, may be useful for testing macroevolutionary hypotheses from phylogenetic patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindell Bromham
- Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Xia Hua
- Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Marcel Cardillo
- Centre for Macroevolution and Macroecology, Division of Ecology, Evolution and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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25
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Neiman M, Sharbel TF, Schwander T. Genetic causes of transitions from sexual reproduction to asexuality in plants and animals. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1346-59. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Neiman
- Department of Biology; University of Iowa; Iowa City IA USA
| | - T. F. Sharbel
- Apomixis Research Group; Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK); Gatersleben Germany
| | - T. Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
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26
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Paczesniak D, Jokela J, Larkin K, Neiman M. Discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in sexual and asexual lineages of the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:4695-710. [PMID: 23957656 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The presence and extent of mitonuclear discordance in coexisting sexual and asexual lineages provides insight into 1) how and when asexual lineages emerged, and 2) the spatial and temporal scales at which the ecological and evolutionary processes influencing the evolution of sexual and asexual reproduction occur. Here, we used nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and a mitochondrial gene to characterize phylogeographic structure and the extent of mitonuclear discordance in Potamopyrgus antipodarum. This New Zealand freshwater snail is often used to study the evolution and maintenance of sex because obligately sexual and obligately asexual individuals often coexist. While our data indicate that sexual and asexual P. antipodarum sampled from the same lake population are often genetically similar, suggesting recent origin of these asexuals from sympatric sexual P. antipodarum, we also found significantly more population structure in sexuals vs. asexuals. This latter result suggests that some asexual lineages originated in other lakes and/or in the relatively distant past. When comparing mitochondrial and nuclear population genetic structure, we discovered that one mitochondrial haplotype ('1A') was rare in sexuals, but common and widespread in asexuals. Haplotype 1A frequency and nuclear genetic diversity were not associated, suggesting that the commonness of this haplotype cannot be attributed entirely to genetic drift and pointing instead to a role for selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Paczesniak
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH-Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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Castagnone-Sereno P, Danchin EGJ, Perfus-Barbeoch L, Abad P. Diversity and evolution of root-knot nematodes, genus Meloidogyne: new insights from the genomic era. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2013; 51:203-20. [PMID: 23682915 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-082712-102300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) (Meloidogyne spp.) are obligate endoparasites of major worldwide economic importance. They exhibit a wide continuum of variation in their reproductive strategies, ranging from amphimixis to obligatory mitotic parthenogenesis. Molecular phylogenetic studies have highlighted divergence between mitotic and meiotic parthenogenetic RKN species and probable interspecific hybridization as critical steps in their speciation and diversification process. The recent completion of the genomes of two RKNs, Meloidogyne hapla and Meloidogyne incognita, that exhibit striking differences in their mode of reproduction (with and without sex, respectively), their geographic distribution, and their host range has opened the way for deciphering the evolutionary significance of (a)sexual reproduction in these parasites. Accumulating evidence suggests that whole-genome duplication (in M. incognita) and horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) represent major forces that have shaped the genome of current RKN species and may account for the extreme adaptive capacities and parasitic success of these nematodes.
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28
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Evolutionary and ecological implications of sexual parasitism. Trends Ecol Evol 2013; 28:297-306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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29
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Forbes AA, Rice LA, Stewart NB, Yee WL, Neiman M. Niche differentiation and colonization of a novel environment by an asexual parasitic wasp. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:1330-40. [PMID: 23517017 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
How do asexual taxa become adapted to a diversity of environments, and how do they persist despite changing environmental conditions? These questions are linked by their mutual focus on the relationship between genetic variation, which is often limited in asexuals, and the ability to respond to environmental variation. Asexual taxa originating from a single ancestor present a unique opportunity to assess rates of phenotypic and genetic change when access to new genetic variation is limited to mutation. Diachasma muliebre is an asexual Hymenopteran wasp that is geographically and genetically isolated from all sexual relatives. D. muliebre attack larvae of the western cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis indifferens), which in turn feed inside bitter cherry fruit (Prunus emarginata) in August and September. R. indifferens has recently colonized a new host plant with an earlier fruiting phenology (June/July), domesticated sweet cherries (P. avium), and D. muliebre has followed its host into this temporally earlier niche. We tested three hypotheses: 1) that all D. muliebre lineages originate from a single asexual ancestor; 2) that different D. muliebre lineages (as defined by unique mtDNA haplotypes) have differentiated on their ancestral host in an important life-history trait, eclosion timing; and 3) that early-eclosing lineages have preferentially colonized the new sweet cherry niche. We find that mitochondrial COI and microsatellite data provide strong support for a single ancestral origin for all lineages. Furthermore, COI sequencing revealed five mitochondrial haplotypes among D. muliebre, and individual wasps possessing one distinctive mitochondrial haplotype (haplotype II) eclosed as reproductive adults significantly earlier than wasps with all other haplotypes. In addition, this early-eclosing lineage of D. muliebre is one of two lineages that have colonized the P. avium habitat, consistent with the preferential colonization hypothesis. These data suggest that D. muliebre has evolved adaptive phenotypic variation despite limited genetic variation, and that this variation has subsequently allowed an expansion of some wasps into a novel habitat. The D. muliebre system may allow for in-depth study of adaptation and long-term persistence of asexual taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Forbes
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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Neiman M, Kay AD, Krist AC. Can resource costs of polyploidy provide an advantage to sex? Heredity (Edinb) 2013; 110:152-9. [PMID: 23188174 PMCID: PMC3554456 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2012.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Revised: 07/26/2012] [Accepted: 08/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The predominance of sexual reproduction despite its costs indicates that sex provides substantial benefits, which are usually thought to derive from the direct genetic consequences of recombination and syngamy. While genetic benefits of sex are certainly important, sexual and asexual individuals, lineages, or populations may also differ in physiological and life history traits that could influence outcomes of competition between sexuals and asexuals across environmental gradients. Here, we address possible phenotypic costs of a very common correlate of asexuality, polyploidy. We suggest that polyploidy could confer resource costs related to the dietary phosphorus demands of nucleic acid production; such costs could facilitate the persistence of sex in situations where asexual taxa are of higher ploidy level and phosphorus availability limits important traits like growth and reproduction. We outline predictions regarding the distribution of diploid sexual and polyploid asexual taxa across biogeochemical gradients and provide suggestions for study systems and empirical approaches for testing elements of our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Neiman
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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General-purpose genotype or how epigenetics extend the flexibility of a genotype. GENETICS RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2011; 2012:317175. [PMID: 22567383 PMCID: PMC3335555 DOI: 10.1155/2012/317175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
This project aims at investigating the link between individual epigenetic variability (not related to genetic variability) and the variation of natural environmental conditions. We studied DNA methylation polymorphisms of individuals belonging to a single genetic lineage of the clonal diploid fish Chrosomus eos-neogaeus sampled in seven geographically distant lakes. In spite of a low number of informative fragments obtained from an MSAP analysis, individuals of a given lake are epigenetically similar, and methylation profiles allow the clustering of individuals in two distinct groups of populations among lakes. More importantly, we observed a significant pH variation that is consistent with the two epigenetic groups. It thus seems that the genotype studied has the potential to respond differentially via epigenetic modifications under variable environmental conditions, making epigenetic processes a relevant molecular mechanism contributing to phenotypic plasticity over variable environments in accordance with the GPG model.
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