1
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Fields PD, Jalinsky JR, Bankers L, McElroy KE, Sharbrough J, Higgins C, Morgan-Richards M, Boore JL, Neiman M, Logsdon JM. Genome Evolution and Introgression in the New Zealand mud Snails Potamopyrgus estuarinus and Potamopyrgus kaitunuparaoa. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae091. [PMID: 38776329 PMCID: PMC11110935 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
We have sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and transcriptomes of Potamopyrgus estuarinus and Potamopyrgus kaitunuparaoa, two prosobranch snail species native to New Zealand that together span the continuum from estuary to freshwater. These two species are the closest known relatives of the freshwater species Potamopyrgus antipodarum-a model for studying the evolution of sex, host-parasite coevolution, and biological invasiveness-and thus provide key evolutionary context for understanding its unusual biology. The P. estuarinus and P. kaitunuparaoa genomes are very similar in size and overall gene content. Comparative analyses of genome content indicate that these two species harbor a near-identical set of genes involved in meiosis and sperm functions, including seven genes with meiosis-specific functions. These results are consistent with obligate sexual reproduction in these two species and provide a framework for future analyses of P. antipodarum-a species comprising both obligately sexual and obligately asexual lineages, each separately derived from a sexual ancestor. Genome-wide multigene phylogenetic analyses indicate that P. kaitunuparaoa is likely the closest relative to P. antipodarum. We nevertheless show that there has been considerable introgression between P. estuarinus and P. kaitunuparaoa. That introgression does not extend to the mitochondrial genome, which appears to serve as a barrier to hybridization between P. estuarinus and P. kaitunuparaoa. Nuclear-encoded genes whose products function in joint mitochondrial-nuclear enzyme complexes exhibit similar patterns of nonintrogression, indicating that incompatibilities between the mitochondrial and the nuclear genome may have prevented more extensive gene flow between these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Fields
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel 4051, Switzerland
| | | | - Laura Bankers
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kyle E McElroy
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Joel Sharbrough
- Department of Biology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, USA
| | - Chelsea Higgins
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mary Morgan-Richards
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University Manawatū, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Jeffrey L Boore
- Phenome Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 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
| | - John M Logsdon
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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2
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Forni G, Mantovani B, Mikheyev AS, Luchetti A. Parthenogenetic Stick Insects Exhibit Signatures of Preservation in the Molecular Architecture of Male Reproduction. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae073. [PMID: 38573594 PMCID: PMC11108686 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
After the loss of a trait, theory predicts that the molecular machinery underlying its phenotypic expression should decay. Yet, empirical evidence is contrasting. Here, we test the hypotheses that (i) the molecular ground plan of a lost trait could persist due to pleiotropic effects on other traits and (ii) that gene co-expression network architecture could constrain individual gene expression. Our testing ground has been the Bacillus stick insect species complex, which contains close relatives that are either bisexual or parthenogenetic. After the identification of genes expressed in male reproductive tissues in a bisexual species, we investigated their gene co-expression network structure in two parthenogenetic species. We found that gene co-expression within the male gonads was partially preserved in parthenogens. Furthermore, parthenogens did not show relaxed selection on genes upregulated in male gonads in the bisexual species. As these genes were mostly expressed in female gonads, this preservation could be driven by pleiotropic interactions and an ongoing role in female reproduction. Connectivity within the network also played a key role, with highly connected-and more pleiotropic-genes within male gonad also having a gonad-biased expression in parthenogens. Our findings provide novel insight into the mechanisms which could underlie the production of rare males in parthenogenetic lineages; more generally, they provide an example of the cryptic persistence of a lost trait molecular architecture, driven by gene pleiotropy on other traits and within their co-expression network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giobbe Forni
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Mantovani
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 2600 Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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3
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Sperling AL, Fabian DK, Garrison E, Glover DM. A genetic basis for facultative parthenogenesis in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3545-3560.e13. [PMID: 37516115 PMCID: PMC11044649 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis enables sexually reproducing organisms to switch between sexual and asexual parthenogenetic reproduction. To gain insights into this phenomenon, we sequenced the genomes of sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic strains of Drosophila mercatorum and identified differences in the gene expression in their eggs. We then tested whether manipulating the expression of candidate gene homologs identified in Drosophila mercatorum could lead to facultative parthenogenesis in the non-parthenogenetic species Drosophila melanogaster. This identified a polygenic system whereby increased expression of the mitotic protein kinase polo and decreased expression of a desaturase, Desat2, caused facultative parthenogenesis in the non-parthenogenetic species that was enhanced by increased expression of Myc. The genetically induced parthenogenetic Drosophila melanogaster eggs exhibit de novo centrosome formation, fusion of the meiotic products, and the onset of development to generate predominantly triploid offspring. Thus, we demonstrate a genetic basis for sporadic facultative parthenogenesis in an animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis L Sperling
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Daniel K Fabian
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Erik Garrison
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, S Manassas Street, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - David M Glover
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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4
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Rimbault M, Legeai F, Peccoud J, Mieuzet L, Call E, Nouhaud P, Defendini H, Mahéo F, Marande W, Théron N, Tagu D, Le Trionnaire G, Simon JC, Jaquiéry J. Contrasting Evolutionary Patterns Between Sexual and Asexual Lineages in a Genomic Region Linked to Reproductive Mode Variation in the pea aphid. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad168. [PMID: 37717171 PMCID: PMC10538257 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad168] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although asexual lineages evolved from sexual lineages in many different taxa, the genetics of sex loss remains poorly understood. We addressed this issue in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, whose natural populations encompass lineages performing cyclical parthenogenesis (CP) and producing one sexual generation per year, as well as obligate parthenogenetic (OP) lineages that can no longer produce sexual females but can still produce males. An SNP-based, whole-genome scan of CP and OP populations sequenced in pools (103 individuals from 6 populations) revealed that an X-linked region is associated with the variation in reproductive mode. This 840-kb region is highly divergent between CP and OP populations (FST = 34.9%), with >2,000 SNPs or short Indels showing a high degree of association with the phenotypic trait. In OP populations specifically, this region also shows reduced diversity and Tajima's D, consistent with the OP phenotype being a derived trait in aphids. Interestingly, the low genetic differentiation between CP and OP populations at the rest of the genome (FST = 2.5%) suggests gene flow between them. Males from OP lineages thus likely transmit their op allele to new genomic backgrounds. These genetic exchanges, combined with the selection of the OP and CP reproductive modes under different climates, probably contribute to the long-term persistence of the cp and op alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Rimbault
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
- University of Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
| | - Jean Peccoud
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7267 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers CEDEX 9, France
| | - Lucie Mieuzet
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Elsa Call
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Pierre Nouhaud
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Hélène Defendini
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Frédérique Mahéo
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - William Marande
- French Plant Genomic Resource Center, INRAE-CNRGV, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Nicolas Théron
- French Plant Genomic Resource Center, INRAE-CNRGV, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Denis Tagu
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Gaël Le Trionnaire
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
| | - Julie Jaquiéry
- INRAE, UMR 1349, Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, Le Rheu, France
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5
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da Silva J. The kin selection theory of genomic imprinting and modes of reproduction in the eusocial Hymenoptera. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:677-695. [PMID: 36457233 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12925] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting is known from flowering plants and mammals but has not been confirmed for the Hymenoptera even though the eusocial Hymenoptera are prime candidates for this peculiar form of gene expression. Here, the kin selection theory of genomic imprinting is reviewed and applied to the eusocial Hymenoptera. The evidence for imprinting in eusocial Hymenoptera with the typical mode of reproduction, involving the sexual production of diploid female offspring, which develop into workers or gynes, and the arrhenotokous parthenogenesis of haploid males, is also reviewed briefly. However, the focus of this review is how atypical modes of reproduction, involving thelytokous parthenogenesis, hybridisation and androgenesis, may also select for imprinting. In particular, naturally occurring hybridisation in several genera of ants may provide useful tests of the role of kin selection in the evolution of imprinting. Hybridisation is expected to disrupt the coadaptation of antagonistically imprinted loci, and thus affect the phenotypes of hybrids. Some of the limited data available on hybrid worker reproduction and on colony sex ratios support predictions about patterns of imprinting derived from kin selection theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack da Silva
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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6
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Sperling AL, Glover DM. Parthenogenesis in dipterans: a genetic perspective. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230261. [PMID: 36946111 PMCID: PMC10031431 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis has been documented in almost every phylum of animals, and yet this phenomenon is largely understudied. It has particular importance in dipterans since some parthenogenetic species are also disease vectors and agricultural pests. Here, we present a catalogue of parthenogenetic dipterans, although it is likely that many more remain to be identified, and we discuss how their developmental biology and interactions with diverse environments may be linked to different types of parthenogenetic reproduction. We discuss how the advances in genetics and genomics have identified chromosomal loci associated with parthenogenesis. In particular, a polygenic cause of facultative parthenogenesis has been uncovered in Drosophila mercatorum, allowing the corresponding genetic variants to be tested for their ability to promote parthenogenesis in another species, Drosophila melanogaster. This study probably identifies just one of many routes that could be followed in the evolution of parthenogenesis. We attempt to account for why the phenomenon has evolved so many times in the dipteran order and why facultative parthenogenesis appears particularly prevalent. We also discuss the significance of coarse genomic changes, including non-disjunction, aneuploidy, and polyploidy and how, together with changes to specific genes, these might relate to both facultative and obligate parthenogenesis in dipterans and other parthenogenetic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. L. Sperling
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - D. M. Glover
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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7
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Forni G, Mikheyev AS, Luchetti A, Mantovani B. Gene transcriptional profiles in gonads of Bacillus taxa (Phasmida) with different cytological mechanisms of automictic parthenogenesis. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2022; 8:14. [PMID: 36435814 PMCID: PMC9701443 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-022-00197-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of automixis - i.e., meiotic parthenogenesis - requires several features, including ploidy restoration after meiosis and maintenance of fertility. Characterizing the relative contribution of novel versus pre-existing genes and the similarities in their expression and sequence evolution is fundamental to understand the evolution of reproductive novelties. Here we identify gonads-biased genes in two Bacillus automictic stick-insects and compare their expression profile and sequence evolution with a bisexual congeneric species. The two parthenogens restore ploidy through different cytological mechanisms: in Bacillus atticus, nuclei derived from the first meiotic division fuse to restore a diploid egg nucleus, while in Bacillus rossius, diploidization occurs in some cells of the haploid blastula through anaphase restitution. Parthenogens' gonads transcriptional program is found to be largely assembled from genes that were already present before the establishment of automixis. The three species transcriptional profiles largely reflect their phyletic relationships, yet we identify a shared core of genes with gonad-biased patterns of expression in parthenogens which are either male gonads-biased in the sexual species or are not differentially expressed there. At the sequence level, just a handful of gonads-biased genes were inferred to have undergone instances of positive selection exclusively in the parthenogen species. This work is the first to explore the molecular underpinnings of automixis in a comparative framework: it delineates how reproductive novelties can be sustained by genes whose origin precedes the establishment of the novelty itself and shows that different meiotic mechanisms of reproduction can be associated with a shared molecular ground plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giobbe Forni
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- Dip. Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, 2600, Australia
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Andrea Luchetti
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Barbara Mantovani
- Dip. Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
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8
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Elkrewi M, Khauratovich U, Toups MA, Bett VK, Mrnjavac A, Macon A, Fraisse C, Sax L, Huylmans AK, Hontoria F, Vicoso B. ZW sex-chromosome evolution and contagious parthenogenesis in Artemia brine shrimp. Genetics 2022; 222:6670797. [PMID: 35977389 PMCID: PMC9526061 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eurasian brine shrimp (genus Artemia) have closely related sexual and asexual lineages of parthenogenetic females, which produce rare males at low frequencies. Although they are known to have ZW chromosomes, these are not well characterized, and it is unclear whether they are shared across the clade. Furthermore, the underlying genetic architecture of the transmission of asexuality, which can occur when rare males mate with closely related sexual females, is not well understood. We produced a chromosome-level assembly for the sexual Eurasian species A. sinica and characterized in detail the pair of sex chromosomes of this species. We combined this new assembly with short-read genomic data for the sexual species A. sp. Kazakhstan and several asexual lineages of A. parthenogenetica, allowing us to perform an in-depth characterization of sex-chromosome evolution across the genus. We identified a small differentiated region of the ZW pair that is shared by all sexual and asexual lineages, supporting the shared ancestry of the sex chromosomes. We also inferred that recombination suppression has spread to larger sections of the chromosome independently in the American and Eurasian lineages. Finally, we took advantage of a rare male, which we backcrossed to sexual females, to explore the genetic basis of asexuality. Our results suggest that parthenogenesis is likely partly controlled by a locus on the Z chromosome, highlighting the interplay between sex determination and asexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Elkrewi
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
| | - Uladzislava Khauratovich
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Melissa A Toups
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, BH12 5BB, UK
| | | | - Andrea Mrnjavac
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
| | - Ariana Macon
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
| | - Christelle Fraisse
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,CNRS, Univ. Lille, UMR 8198-Evo-Eco-Paleo, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Luca Sax
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR 97219, USA
| | - Ann Kathrin Huylmans
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria.,Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Guttenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz, 55122, Germany
| | - Francisco Hontoria
- Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, 12595, Spain
| | - Beatriz Vicoso
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
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9
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McElroy KE, Bankers L, Soper D, Hehman G, Boore JL, Logsdon JM, Neiman M. Patterns of gene expression in ovaries of sexual vs. asexual lineages of a freshwater snail. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.845640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Why sexual reproduction is so common when asexual reproduction should be much more efficient and less costly remains an open question in evolutionary biology. Comparisons between otherwise similar sexual and asexual taxa allow us to characterize the genetic architecture underlying asexuality, which can, in turn, illuminate how this reproductive mode transition occurred and the mechanisms by which it is maintained or disrupted. Here, we used transcriptome sequencing to compare patterns of ovarian gene expression between actively reproducing obligately sexual and obligately asexual females from multiple lineages of Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a freshwater New Zealand snail characterized by frequent separate transitions to asexuality and coexistence of otherwise similar sexual and asexual lineages. We also used these sequence data to evaluate whether population history accounts for variation in patterns of gene expression. We found that source population was a major source of gene expression variation, and likely more influential than reproductive mode. This outcome for these common garden-raised snails is strikingly similar to earlier results from field-collected snails. While we did not identify a likely set of candidate genes from expression profiles that could plausibly explain how transitions to asexuality occurred, we identified around 1,000 genes with evidence of differential expression between sexual and asexual reproductive modes, and 21 genes that appear to exhibit consistent expression differences between sexuals and asexuals across genetic backgrounds. This second smaller set of genes provides a good starting point for further exploration regarding a potential role in the transition to asexual reproduction. These results mark the first effort to characterize the causes of asexuality in P. antipodarum, demonstrate the apparently high heritability of gene expression patterns in this species, and hint that for P. antipodarum, transitions to asexuality might not necessarily be strongly associated with broad changes in gene expression.
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10
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Stoldt M, Macit MN, Collin E, Foitzik S. Molecular (co)evolution of hymenopteran social parasites and their hosts. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 50:100889. [PMID: 35181562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Social parasitism describes a fascinating way of life in which species exploit the altruistic behaviour of closely related, social species. Social parasites have repeatedly evolved in the social Hymenoptera, including ants, bees, and wasps. The common ancestry and shared (social) environment with their hosts facilitates the study of molecular adaptations to the parasitic lifestyle. Moreover, when social parasites are widespread and virulent, they exert strong selection pressure on their hosts, leading to the evolution of defense mechanisms and triggering a coevolutionary arms race. Recent advances in sequencing technology now make it possible to study the molecular basis of this coevolutionary process. In addition to describing the latest developments, we highlight open research questions that could be tackled with genomic, transcriptomic, or epigenetic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marah Stoldt
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Maide Nesibe Macit
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Erwann Collin
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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11
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Rode NO, Jabbour-Zahab R, Boyer L, Flaven É, Hontoria F, Stappen GV, Dufresne F, Haag C, Lenormand T. The origin of asexual brine shrimps. Am Nat 2022; 200:E52-E76. [DOI: 10.1086/720268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Du S, Ye F, Wang Q, Liang Y, Wan W, Guo J, Liu W. Multiple Data Demonstrate That Bacteria Regulating Reproduction Could Be Not the Cause for the Thelytoky of Diglyphus wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). INSECTS 2021; 13:9. [PMID: 35055852 PMCID: PMC8777843 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In Hymenoptera parasitoids, the reproductive mode is arrhenotoky, while a few species reproduce by thelytoky. The thelytoky of Hymenoptera parasitoids is generally genetically determined by the parasitoids themselves or induced by bacteria, including Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Rickettsia. Diglyphus wani (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a recently reported thelytokous species is a main parasitoid attacking agromyzid leafminers. To assess whether endosymbionts induce thelytoky in D. wani, we performed universal PCR detection and sequenced the V3-V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. In addition, bacteria were removed through high-temperature and antibiotic treatments, and the localized bacteria were detected using FISH. Based on general PCR detection, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, Spiroplasma, and Microsporidia were absent in laboratory and field individuals of thelytokous D. wani. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the dominant endosymbionts in thelytokous D. wani were not reproductive manipulators. High-temperature and antibiotic treatment for five consecutive generations cannot reverse the thelytokous pattern of D. wani, and no male offspring were produced. Moreover, no bacterial spots were found in the ovaries of D. wani. Thus, it is considered that the thelytoky of D. wani does not result in the presence of endosymbionts. This species is thus the second reported eulophid parasitoid whose thelytoky appears not to be associated with endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujie Du
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
| | - Fuyu Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
| | - Qijing Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
- Institute of Entomological Science, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Yongxuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
- Department of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Weijie Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
| | - Jianyang Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
| | - Wanxue Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (S.D.); (F.Y.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (W.W.)
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13
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Patterson Rosa L, Eimanifar A, Kimes AG, Brooks SA, Ellis JD. Attack of the dark clones the genetics of reproductive and color traits of South African honey bees (Apis mellifera spp.). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260833. [PMID: 34905583 PMCID: PMC8670704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The traits of two subspecies of western honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata and A.m. capensis, endemic to the Republic of South Africa (RSA), are of biological and commercial relevance. Nevertheless, the genetic basis of important phenotypes found in these subspecies remains poorly understood. We performed a genome wide association study on three traits of biological relevance in 234 A.m. capensis, 73 A.m. scutellata and 158 hybrid individuals. Thirteen markers were significantly associated to at least one trait (P ≤ 4.28 × 10−6): one for ovariole number, four for scutellar plate and eight for tergite color. We discovered two possible causative variants associated to the respective phenotypes: a deletion in GB46429 or Ebony (NC_007070.3:g.14101325G>del) (R69Efs*85) and a nonsense on GB54634 (NC_007076.3:g.4492792A>G;p.Tyr128*) causing a premature stop, substantially shortening the predicted protein. The mutant genotypes are significantly associated to phenotypes in A.m. capensis. Loss-of-function of Ebony can cause accumulation of circulating dopamine, and increased dopamine levels correlate to ovary development in queenless workers and pheromone production. Allelic association (P = 1.824 x 10−5) of NC_007076.3:g.4492792A>G;p.Tyr128* to ovariole number warrants further investigation into function and expression of the GB54634 gene. Our results highlight genetic components of relevant production/conservation behavioral phenotypes in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Patterson Rosa
- Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amin Eimanifar
- Independent Senior Research Scientist, Industrial District, Easton, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Abigail G. Kimes
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Samantha A. Brooks
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - James D. Ellis
- Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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14
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Oldroyd BP, Yagound B, Allsopp MH, Holmes MJ, Buchmann G, Zayed A, Beekman M. Adaptive, caste-specific changes to recombination rates in a thelytokous honeybee population. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210729. [PMID: 34102886 PMCID: PMC8187994 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to clone oneself has clear benefits-no need for mate hunting or dilution of one's genome in offspring. It is therefore unsurprising that some populations of haplo-diploid social insects have evolved thelytokous parthenogenesis-the virgin birth of a female. But thelytokous parthenogenesis has a downside: the loss of heterozygosity (LoH) as a consequence of genetic recombination. LoH in haplo-diploid insects can be highly deleterious because female sex determination often relies on heterozygosity at sex-determining loci. The two female castes of the Cape honeybee, Apis mellifera capensis, differ in their mode of reproduction. While workers always reproduce thelytokously, queens always mate and reproduce sexually. For workers, it is important to reduce the frequency of recombination so as to not produce offspring that are homozygous. Here, we ask whether recombination rates differ between Cape workers and Cape queens that we experimentally manipulated to reproduce thelytokously. We tested our hypothesis that Cape workers have evolved mechanisms that restrain genetic recombination, whereas queens have no need for such mechanisms because they reproduce sexually. Using a combination of microsatellite genotyping and whole-genome sequencing we find that a reduction in recombination is confined to workers only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P. Oldroyd
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, NSW 2006, Australia
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstrasse 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| | - Boris Yagound
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael H. Allsopp
- Michael H Allsopp, Honeybee Research Section, ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Michael J. Holmes
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gabrielle Buchmann
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Amro Zayed
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Madeleine Beekman
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE) Laboratory, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, NSW 2006, Australia
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstrasse 19, 14193 Berlin, Germany
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15
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Webster MT. Population Genomics: How Do Cape Honey Bees Do Without Sex? Curr Biol 2021; 30:R820-R821. [PMID: 32693078 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera capensis, is able to produce female offspring asexually. This phenomenon has now been shown to have a simple genetic basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Webster
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
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16
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Wang P, Yang F, Ma Z, Zhang R. Chromosome Unipolar Division and Low Expression of Tws May Cause Parthenogenesis of Rice Water Weevil ( Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel). INSECTS 2021; 12:278. [PMID: 33805047 PMCID: PMC8064085 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rice water weevil (RWW) is divided into two types of population, triploid parthenogenesis and diploid bisexual reproduction. In this study, we explored the meiosis of triploid parthenogenesis RWW (Shangzhuang Town, Haidian District, Beijing, China) by marking the chromosomes and microtubules of parthenogenetic RWW oocytes via immunostaining. The immunostaining results show that there is a canonical meiotic spindle formed in the triploid parthenogenetic RWW oocytes, but chromosomes segregate at only one pole, which means that there is a chromosomal unipolar division during the oogenesis of the parthenogenetic RWW. Furthermore, we cloned the conserved sequences of parthenogenetic RWW REC8 and Tws, and designed primers based on the parthenogenetic RWW sequence to detect expression patterns by quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). Q-PCR results indicate that the expression of REC8 and Tws in ovarian tissue of bisexual Drosophila melanogaster is 0.98 and 10,000.00 times parthenogenetic RWW, respectively (p < 0.01). The results show that Tws had low expression in parthenogenetic RWW ovarian tissue, and REC8 was expressed normally. Our study suggests that the chromosomal unipolar division and deletion of Tws may cause parthenogenesis in RWW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fangyuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- Department of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhuo Ma
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Runzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; (P.W.); (F.Y.); (Z.M.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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17
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Wachi N, Gau JJ, Fujie S, Fukano K, Maeto K. Genomic population structure of sympatric sexual and asexual populations in a parasitic wasp, Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), inferred from six hundred single-nucleotide polymorphism loci. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:1612-1623. [PMID: 33634920 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In spite of the two-fold reproductive advantage, asexual reproduction is not common in nature, probably due to the associated genetic deterioration or reduced genetic variation. To understand how genetic diversity is maintained in existing asexual populations, we investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of sympatric sexual and asexual populations of a parasitic wasp, Meteorus pulchricornis, using 614 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. The genetic structures of the apomictic asexual populations were distinct, showing considerable genetic differentiation among them. Most of the asexual populations were highly differentiated from the sympatric sexual population; some asexual individuals could not be distinguished from members of the sexual population. Furthermore, significantly fewer multilocus genotypes were identified in the asexual populations (1-7) compared to the sexual population (42), which is consistent with their apomictic nature. The observed patterns of fixed heterozygous sites suggest that most asexual populations had the same evolutionary origin and have long since evolved individually; the detected gene flow between the sexual population and a few asexual population may indicate independent origins of asexuality. The potential role of occasional males in apomictic wasps is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakatada Wachi
- Center for Strategic Research Project, Organization for Research Promotion, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jin-Je Gau
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shunpei Fujie
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan.,Osaka Museum of Natural History, Higashisumiyoshi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kenya Fukano
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kaoru Maeto
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, Japan
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18
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Boyer L, Jabbour-Zahab R, Mosna M, Haag CR, Lenormand T. Not so clonal asexuals: Unraveling the secret sex life of Artemia parthenogenetica. Evol Lett 2021; 5:164-174. [PMID: 33868712 PMCID: PMC8045904 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of sex is paradoxical as sexual species pay the “twofold cost of males” and should thus quickly be replaced by asexual mutants reproducing clonally. However, asexuals may not be strictly clonal and engage in “cryptic sex,” challenging this simple scenario. We study the cryptic sex life of the brine shrimp Artemia parthenogenetica, which has once been termed an “ancient asexual” and where no genetic differences have ever been observed between parents and offspring. This asexual species rarely produces males, which can hybridize with sexual females of closely related species and transmit asexuality to their offspring. Using such hybrids, we show that recombination occurs in asexual lineages, causing loss‐of‐heterozygosity and parent‐offspring differences. These differences cannot generally be observed in field‐sampled asexuals because once heterozygosity is lost, subsequent recombination leaves no footprint. Furthermore, using extensive paternity tests, we show that hybrid females can reproduce both sexually and asexually, and transmit asexuality to both sexually and asexually produced offspring in a dominant fashion. Finally, we show that, contrary to previous reports, field‐sampled asexual females also rarely reproduce sexually (rate ∼2‰). Overall, most previously known facts about Artemia asexuality turned out to be erroneous. More generally, our findings suggest that the evidence for strictly clonal reproduction of asexual species needs to be reconsidered, and that rare sex and consequences of nonclonal asexuality, such as gene flow within asexuals, need to be more widely taken into account in more realistic models for the maintenance of sex and the persistence of asexual lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreleï Boyer
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Roula Jabbour-Zahab
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Marta Mosna
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Christoph R Haag
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Thomas Lenormand
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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