1
|
Wang H, Planche L, Shchur V, Nielsen R. Selfing Promotes Spread and Introgression of Segregation Distorters in Hermaphroditic Plants. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae132. [PMID: 38935581 PMCID: PMC11226791 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Segregation distorters (SDs) are genetic elements that distort the Mendelian segregation ratio to favor their own transmission and are able to spread even when they incur fitness costs on organisms carrying them. Depending on the biology of the host organisms and the genetic architecture of the SDs, the population dynamics of SDs can be highly variable. Inbreeding is considered an effective mechanism for inhibiting the spread of SDs in populations, and can evolve as a defense mechanism against SDs in some systems. However, we show that inbreeding in the form of selfing in fact promotes the spread of SDs acting as pollen killers in a toxin-antidote system in hermaphroditic plants by two mechanisms: (i) By reducing the effective recombination rate between killer and antidote loci in the two-locus system and (ii) by increasing the proportion of SD alleles in individual flowers, rather than in the general gene-pool. We also show that in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a typical hermaphroditic plant, all molecularly characterized SDs associated with pollen killing were involved in population hybridization and have introgressed across different species. Paradoxically, these loci, which are associated with hybrid incompatibility and can be thought of as Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility loci are expected to reduce gene-flow between species, in fact cross species boundaries more frequently than random loci, and may act as important drivers of introgression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Léo Planche
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Sciences du Numérique, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vladimir Shchur
- International laboratory of statistical and computational genomics, HSE University, Moscow 109028, Russian Federation
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zheng JX, Du TY, Shao GC, Ma ZH, Jiang ZD, Hu W, Suo F, He W, Dong MQ, Du LL. Ubiquitination-mediated Golgi-to-endosome sorting determines the toxin-antidote duality of fission yeast wtf meiotic drivers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8334. [PMID: 38097609 PMCID: PMC10721834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44151-9] [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: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Killer meiotic drivers (KMDs) skew allele transmission in their favor by killing meiotic progeny not inheriting the driver allele. Despite their widespread presence in eukaryotes, the molecular mechanisms behind their selfish behavior are poorly understood. In several fission yeast species, single-gene KMDs belonging to the wtf gene family exert selfish killing by expressing a toxin and an antidote through alternative transcription initiation. Here we investigate how the toxin and antidote products of a wtf-family KMD gene can act antagonistically. Both the toxin and the antidote are multi-transmembrane proteins, differing only in their N-terminal cytosolic tails. We find that the antidote employs PY motifs (Leu/Pro-Pro-X-Tyr) in its N-terminal cytosolic tail to bind Rsp5/NEDD4 family ubiquitin ligases, which ubiquitinate the antidote. Mutating PY motifs or attaching a deubiquitinating enzyme transforms the antidote into a toxic protein. Ubiquitination promotes the transport of the antidote from the trans-Golgi network to the endosome, thereby preventing it from causing toxicity. A physical interaction between the antidote and the toxin enables the ubiquitinated antidote to translocate the toxin to the endosome and neutralize its toxicity. We propose that post-translational modification-mediated protein localization and/or activity changes may be a common mechanism governing the antagonistic duality of single-gene KMDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Xin Zheng
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Tong-Yang Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Guang-Can Shao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhu-Hui Ma
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhao-Di Jiang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Wen Hu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Fang Suo
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Wanzhong He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Meng-Qiu Dong
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Li-Lin Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China.
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bonometti L, De Bellis F, Cros-Arteil S, Gueret E, Gladieux P. Draft genome sequences of Neurospora crassa clade B, isolated from burned Cytisus sp. plants in France. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0062723. [PMID: 37943031 PMCID: PMC10720570 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00627-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurospora crassa clade A is a model system for genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and experimental evolution. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of four isolates of N. crassa clade B. These data represent a valuable resource to investigate the population biology and evolutionary history of N. crassa sensu lato.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Bonometti
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Fabien De Bellis
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, Montpellier, France
- AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Sandrine Cros-Arteil
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Elise Gueret
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Coughlan JM. The role of conflict in shaping plant biodiversity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2210-2217. [PMID: 37667567 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Although intrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers can play a fundamental role in speciation, their underlying evolutionary causes are widely debated. One hypothesis is that incompatibilities result from genomic conflicts. Here, I synthesize the evidence that conflict generates incompatibilities in plants, thus playing a creative role in plant biodiversity. While much evidence supports a role for conflict in several classes of incompatibility, integrating knowledge of incompatibility alleles with natural history can provide further essential tests. Moreover, comparative work can shed light on the relative importance of conflict in causing incompatibilities, including the extent to which their evolution is repeatable. Together, these approaches can provide independent lines of evidence that conflict causes incompatibilities, cementing its role in plant speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenn M Coughlan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
You S, Zhao Z, Yu X, Zhu S, Wang J, Lei D, Zhou J, Li J, Chen H, Xiao Y, Chen W, Wang Q, Lu J, Chen K, Zhou C, Zhang X, Cheng Z, Guo X, Ren Y, Zheng X, Liu S, Liu X, Tian Y, Jiang L, Tao D, Wu C, Wan J. A toxin-antidote system contributes to interspecific reproductive isolation in rice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7528. [PMID: 37980335 PMCID: PMC10657391 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43015-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Breakdown of reproductive isolation facilitates flow of useful trait genes into crop plants from their wild relatives. Hybrid sterility, a major form of reproductive isolation exists between cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) and wild rice (O. meridionalis, Mer). Here, we report the cloning of qHMS1, a quantitative trait locus controlling hybrid male sterility between these two species. Like qHMS7, another locus we cloned previously, qHMS1 encodes a toxin-antidote system, but differs in the encoded proteins, their evolutionary origin, and action time point during pollen development. In plants heterozygous at qHMS1, ~ 50% of pollens carrying qHMS1-D (an allele from cultivated rice) are selectively killed. In plants heterozygous at both qHMS1 and qHMS7, ~ 75% pollens without co-presence of qHMS1-Mer and qHMS7-D are selectively killed, indicating that the antidotes function in a toxin-dependent manner. Our results indicate that different toxin-antidote systems provide stacked reproductive isolation for maintaining species identity and shed light on breakdown of hybrid male sterility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shimin You
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhigang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiaowen Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Shanshan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dekun Lei
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jiawu Zhou
- Yunnan Seed Laboratory/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Rice Genetic Improvement, Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), Kunming, 650200, P. R. China
| | - Jing Li
- Yunnan Seed Laboratory/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Rice Genetic Improvement, Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), Kunming, 650200, P. R. China
| | - Haiyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yanjia Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qiming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jiayu Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Keyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Chunlei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhijun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xiuping Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yulong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xiaoming Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shijia Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xi Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yunlu Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Dayun Tao
- Yunnan Seed Laboratory/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Rice Genetic Improvement, Food Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), Kunming, 650200, P. R. China.
| | - Chuanyin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Jianmin Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing, 210095, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lai EC, Vogan AA. Proliferation and dissemination of killer meiotic drive loci. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 82:102100. [PMID: 37625205 PMCID: PMC10900872 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Killer meiotic drive elements are selfish genetic entities that manipulate the sexual cycle to promote their own inheritance via destructive means. Two broad classes are sperm killers, typical of animals and plants, and spore killers, which are present in ascomycete fungi. Killer meiotic drive systems operate via toxins that destroy or disable meiotic products bearing the alternative allele. To avoid suicidal autotargeting, cells that bear these selfish elements must either lack the toxin target, or express an antidote. Historically, these systems were presumed to require large nonrecombining haplotypes to link multiple functional interacting loci. However, recent advances on fungal spore killers reveal that numerous systems are enacted by single genes, and similar molecular genetic studies in Drosophila pinpoint individual loci that distort gamete sex. Notably, many meiotic drivers duplicate readily, forming gene families that can have complex interactions within and between species, and providing substrates for their rapid functional diversification. Here, we summarize the known families of meiotic drivers in fungi and fruit flies, and highlight shared principles about their evolution and proliferation that promote the spread of these noxious genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, 430 East 67th St, ROC-10, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Aaron A Vogan
- Institute of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
A Natural Fungal Gene Drive Enacts Killing via DNA Disruption. mBio 2023; 14:e0317322. [PMID: 36537809 PMCID: PMC9972908 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03173-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal spore killers are a class of selfish genetic elements that positively bias their own inheritance by killing non-inheriting gametes following meiosis. As killing takes place specifically within the developing fungal ascus, a tissue which is experimentally difficult to isolate, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying spore killers are limited. In particular, how these loci kill other spores within the fungal ascus is largely unknown. Here, we overcome these experimental barriers by developing model systems in 2 evolutionary distant organisms, Escherichia coli (bacterium) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), similar to previous approaches taken to examine the wtf spore killers. Using these systems, we show that the Podospora anserina spore killer protein SPOK1 enacts killing through targeting DNA. IMPORTANCE Natural gene drives have shaped the genomes of many eukaryotes and recently have been considered for applications to control undesirable species. In fungi, these loci are called spore killers. Despite their importance in evolutionary processes and possible applications, our understanding of how they enact killing is limited. We show that the spore killer protein Spok1, which has homologues throughout the fungal tree of life, acts via DNA disruption. Spok1 is only the second spore killer locus in which the cellular target of killing has been identified and is the first known to target DNA. We also show that the DNA disrupting activity of Spok1 is functional in both bacteria and yeast suggesting a highly conserved mode of action.
Collapse
|
8
|
Chou JY, Hsu PC, Leu JY. Enforcement of Postzygotic Species Boundaries in the Fungal Kingdom. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0009822. [PMID: 36098649 PMCID: PMC9769731 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00098-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular basis of speciation is a primary goal in evolutionary biology. The formation of the postzygotic reproductive isolation that causes hybrid dysfunction, thereby reducing gene flow between diverging populations, is crucial for speciation. Using various advanced approaches, including chromosome replacement, hybrid introgression and transcriptomics, population genomics, and experimental evolution, scientists have revealed multiple mechanisms involved in postzygotic barriers in the fungal kingdom. These results illuminate both unique and general features of fungal speciation. Our review summarizes experiments on fungi exploring how Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility, killer meiotic drive, chromosome rearrangements, and antirecombination contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation. We also discuss possible evolutionary forces underlying different reproductive isolation mechanisms and the potential roles of the evolutionary arms race under the Red Queen hypothesis and epigenetic divergence in speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Yu Chou
- Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chen Hsu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jun-Yi Leu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Nuckolls NL, Nidamangala Srinivasa A, Mok AC, Helston RM, Bravo Núñez MA, Lange JJ, Gallagher TJ, Seidel CW, Zanders SE. S. pombe wtf drivers use dual transcriptional regulation and selective protein exclusion from spores to cause meiotic drive. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009847. [PMID: 36477651 PMCID: PMC9762604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic drivers bias gametogenesis to ensure their transmission into more than half the offspring of a heterozygote. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, wtf meiotic drivers destroy the meiotic products (spores) that do not inherit the driver from a heterozygote, thereby reducing fertility. wtf drivers encode both a Wtfpoison protein and a Wtfantidote protein using alternative transcriptional start sites. Here, we analyze how the expression and localization of the Wtf proteins are regulated to achieve drive. We show that transcriptional timing and selective protein exclusion from developing spores ensure that all spores are exposed to Wtf4poison, but only the spores that inherit wtf4 receive a dose of Wtf4antidote sufficient for survival. In addition, we show that the Mei4 transcription factor, a master regulator of meiosis, controls the expression of the wtf4poison transcript. This transcriptional regulation, which includes the use of a critical meiotic transcription factor, likely complicates the universal suppression of wtf genes without concomitantly disrupting spore viability. We propose that these features contribute to the evolutionary success of the wtf drivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Nuckolls
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ananya Nidamangala Srinivasa
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Anthony C. Mok
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- University of Missouri—Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rachel M. Helston
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | | | - Jeffrey J. Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Todd J. Gallagher
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Chris W. Seidel
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lohmar JM, Rhoades NA, Hammond TM, Brown DW. Gene drive by Fusarium SKC1 is dependent on its competing allele. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 163:103749. [PMID: 36341840 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The Fusarium verticillioides SKC1 gene driver is transmitted to offspring in a biased manner through spore killing. The mechanism that allows SKC1 to kill non-SKC1 offspring while sparing others is poorly understood. Here we report that gene drive by SKC1 is dependent on SKC1's competing allele. We propose that SKC1's competing allele influences the ability of a genome defense process to detect SKC1, and we provide evidence that this genome defense process is meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA (MSUD). Our findings suggest that the successful deployment of gene drivers to control pathogenic fungi will require researchers to consider how competing alleles influence the ability of gene drivers to be detected by genome defense processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Lohmar
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA
| | - Nicholas A Rhoades
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Thomas M Hammond
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
| | - Daren W Brown
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vogan AA, Svedberg J, Grudzinska‐Sterno M, Johannesson H. Meiotic drive is associated with sexual incompatibility in Neurospora. Evolution 2022; 76:2687-2696. [PMID: 36148939 PMCID: PMC9828778 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 12/12/1912] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Evolution of Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) incompatibilities is thought to represent a key step in the formation of separate species. They are incompatible alleles that have evolved in separate populations and are exposed in hybrid offspring as hybrid sterility or lethality. In this study, we reveal a previously unconsidered mechanism promoting the formation of BDM incompatibilities, meiotic drive. Theoretical studies have evaluated the role that meiotic drive, the phenomenon whereby selfish elements bias their transmission to progeny at ratios above 50:50, plays in speciation, and have mostly concluded that drive could not result in speciation on its own. Using the model fungus Neurospora, we demonstrate that the large meiotic drive haplotypes, Sk-2 and Sk-3, contain putative sexual incompatibilities. Our experiments revealed that although crosses between Neurospora intermedia and Neurospora metzenbergii produce viable progeny at appreciable rates, when strains of N. intermedia carry Sk-2 or Sk-3 the proportion of viable progeny drops substantially. Additionally, it appears that Sk-2 and Sk-3 have accumulated different incompatibility phenotypes, consistent with their independent evolutionary history. This research illustrates how meiotic drive can contribute to reproductive isolation between populations, and thereby speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A. Vogan
- Department of Organismal BiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSE‐75236Sweden
| | - Jesper Svedberg
- Department of Organismal BiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSE‐75236Sweden,Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Genomics InstituteUC Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95064
| | | | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Organismal BiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSE‐75236Sweden,The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Department of EcologyEnvironment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm UniversityStockholmSE‐106 91, CaliforniaSweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Spore killers are specific genetic elements in fungi that kill sexual spores that do not contain them. A range of studies in the last few years have provided the long-awaited first insights into the molecular mechanistic aspects of spore killing in different fungal models, including both yeast-forming and filamentous Ascomycota. Here we describe these recent advances, focusing on the wtf system in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe; the Sk spore killers of Neurospora species; and two spore-killer systems in Podospora anserina, Spok and [Het-s]. The spore killers appear thus far mechanistically unrelated. They can involve large genomic rearrangements but most often rely on the action of just a single gene. Data gathered so far show that the protein domains involved in the killing and resistance processes differ among the systems and are not homologous. The emerging picture sketched by these studies is thus one of great mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of elements that cheat during meiosis and are thereby preferentially inherited over sexual generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven J Saupe
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaire, CNRS UMR 5095, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France;
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Melesse Vergara M, Labbé J, Tannous J. Reflection on the Challenges, Accomplishments, and New Frontiers of Gene Drives. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9853416. [PMID: 37850135 PMCID: PMC10521683 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9853416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing pest and disease outbreaks pose a serious threat to human, crop, and animal lives, emphasizing the need for constant genetic discoveries that could serve as mitigation strategies. Gene drives are genetic engineering approaches discovered decades ago that may allow quick, super-Mendelian dissemination of genetic modifications in wild populations, offering hopes for medicine, agriculture, and ecology in combating diseases. Following its first discovery, several naturally occurring selfish genetic elements were identified and several gene drive mechanisms that could attain relatively high threshold population replacement have been proposed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in gene drive research with a particular emphasis on CRISPR-Cas gene drives, the technology that has revolutionized the process of genome engineering. Herein, we discuss the benefits and caveats of this technology and place it within the context of natural gene drives discovered to date and various synthetic drives engineered. Later, we elaborate on the strategies for designing synthetic drive systems to address resistance issues and prevent them from altering the entire wild populations. Lastly, we highlight the major applications of synthetic CRISPR-based gene drives in different living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse Labbé
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Invaio Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138USA
| | - Joanna Tannous
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Komluski J, Stukenbrock EH, Habig M. Non-Mendelian transmission of accessory chromosomes in fungi. Chromosome Res 2022; 30:241-253. [PMID: 35881207 PMCID: PMC9508043 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-022-09691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Non-Mendelian transmission has been reported for various genetic elements, ranging from small transposons to entire chromosomes. One prime example of such a transmission pattern are B chromosomes in plants and animals. Accessory chromosomes in fungi are similar to B chromosomes in showing presence/absence polymorphism and being non-essential. How these chromosomes are transmitted during meiosis is however poorly understood—despite their often high impact on the fitness of the host. For several fungal organisms, a non-Mendelian transmission or a mechanistically unique meiotic drive of accessory chromosomes have been reported. In this review, we provide an overview of the possible mechanisms that can cause the non-Mendelian transmission or meiotic drives of fungal accessory chromosomes. We compare processes responsible for the non-Mendelian transmission of accessory chromosomes for different fungal eukaryotes and discuss the structural traits of fungal accessory chromosomes affecting their meiotic transmission. We conclude that research on fungal accessory chromosomes, due to their small size, ease of sequencing, and epigenetic profiling, can complement the study of B chromosomes in deciphering factors that influence and regulate the non-Mendelian transmission of entire chromosomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jovan Komluski
- Environmental Genomics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Eva H Stukenbrock
- Environmental Genomics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
| | - Michael Habig
- Environmental Genomics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mendel's First Law: partisan interests and the parliament of genes. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:48-55. [PMID: 35690638 PMCID: PMC9273594 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00545-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mendel's First Law requires explanation because of the possibility of 'meiotic drivers', genes that distort fair segregation for selfish gain. The suppression of drive, and the restoration of fair segregation, is often attributed to genes at loci unlinked to the drive locus-such genes cannot benefit from drive but do suffer its associated fitness costs. However, selection can also favour suppressors at loci linked to the drive locus, raising the question of whether suppression of drive usually comes from linked or unlinked loci. Here, I study linked and unlinked suppression in a two-locus model with initial stable polymorphism at the drive locus. I find that the invasion rate of suppressors is a decreasing function of the recombination fraction between the drive and suppressor loci. Surprisingly, the relative likelihood of unlinked vs. linked suppression increases with the strength of drive and is insensitive to the fitness costs of the driver allele. I find that the chromosomal position of the driver influences how rapidly it is suppressed, with a driver in the middle of a chromosome suppressed more rapidly than a driver near the tip. When drive is strong, only a small number of chromosomes are required for suppression usually to derive from unlinked loci. In contrast, when drive is weak, and especially when suppressor alleles are associated with fitness costs, suppression will usually come from linked loci unless the genome comprises many chromosomes.
Collapse
|
16
|
Non-Mendelian segregation and transmission drive of B chromosomes. Chromosome Res 2022; 30:217-228. [DOI: 10.1007/s10577-022-09692-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
17
|
Ament-Velásquez SL, Vogan AA, Granger-Farbos A, Bastiaans E, Martinossi-Allibert I, Saupe SJ, de Groot S, Lascoux M, Debets AJM, Clavé C, Johannesson H. Allorecognition genes drive reproductive isolation in Podospora anserina. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:910-923. [PMID: 35551248 PMCID: PMC9262711 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01734-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Allorecognition, the capacity to discriminate self from conspecific non-self, is a ubiquitous organismal feature typically governed by genes evolving under balancing selection. Here, we show that in the fungus Podospora anserina, allorecognition loci controlling vegetative incompatibility (het genes), define two reproductively isolated groups through pleiotropic effects on sexual compatibility. These two groups emerge from the antagonistic interactions of the unlinked loci het-r (encoding a NOD-like receptor) and het-v (encoding a methyltransferase and an MLKL/HeLo domain protein). Using a combination of genetic and ecological data, supported by simulations, we provide a concrete and molecularly defined example whereby the origin and coexistence of reproductively isolated groups in sympatry is driven by pleiotropic genes under balancing selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Lorena Ament-Velásquez
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Aaron A Vogan
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Granger-Farbos
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Eric Bastiaans
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivain Martinossi-Allibert
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sven J Saupe
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Suzette de Groot
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Lascoux
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alfons J M Debets
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Corinne Clavé
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lohmar JM, Rhoades NA, Patel TN, Proctor RH, Hammond TM, Brown DW. A-to-I mRNA editing controls spore death induced by a fungal meiotic drive gene in homologous and heterologous expression systems. Genetics 2022; 221:6528853. [PMID: 35166849 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spore killers are meiotic drive elements that can block development of sexual spores in fungi. In the maize ear rot and mycotoxin-producing fungus Fusarium verticillioides, a spore killer called SkK has been mapped to a 102-kb interval of chromosome V. Here, we show that a gene within this interval, SKC1, is required for SkK-mediated spore killing and meiotic drive. We also demonstrate that SKC1 is associated with at least four transcripts, two sense (sense-SKC1a and sense-SKC1b) and two antisense (antisense-SKC1a and antisense-SKC1b). Both antisense SKC1 transcripts lack obvious protein-coding sequences and thus appear to be non-coding RNAs. In contrast, sense-SKC1a is a protein-coding transcript that undergoes A-to-I editing to sense-SKC1b in sexual tissue. Translation of sense-SKC1a produces a 70 amino acid protein (Skc1a), whereas translation of sense-SKC1b produces an 84 amino acid protein (Skc1b). Heterologous expression analysis of SKC1 transcripts shows that sense-SKC1a also undergoes A-to-I editing to sense-SKC1b during the Neurospora crassa sexual cycle. Site directed mutagenesis studies indicate that Skc1b is responsible for spore killing in F. verticillioides and that it induces most meiotic cells to die in N. crassa. Finally, we report that SKC1 homologs are present in over 20 Fusarium species. Overall, our results demonstrate that fungal meiotic drive elements like SKC1 can influence the outcome of meiosis by hijacking a cell's A-to-I editing machinery and that the involvement of A-to-I editing in a fungal meiotic drive system does not preclude its horizontal transfer to a distantly related species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Lohmar
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, Illinois, 61604, USA
| | - Nicholas A Rhoades
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790, USA
| | - Tejas N Patel
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790, USA
| | - Robert H Proctor
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, Illinois, 61604, USA
| | - Thomas M Hammond
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790, USA
| | - Daren W Brown
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Unit, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, Illinois, 61604, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rico-Ramírez AM, Pedro Gonçalves A, Louise Glass N. Fungal Cell Death: The Beginning of the End. Fungal Genet Biol 2022; 159:103671. [PMID: 35150840 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Death is an important part of an organism's existence and also marks the end of life. On a cellular level, death involves the execution of complex processes, which can be classified into different types depending on their characteristics. Despite their "simple" lifestyle, fungi carry out highly specialized and sophisticated mechanisms to regulate the way their cells die, and the pathways underlying these mechanisms are comparable with those of plants and metazoans. This review focuses on regulated cell death in fungi and discusses the evidence for the occurrence of apoptotic-like, necroptosis-like, pyroptosis-like death, and the role of the NLR proteins in fungal cell death. We also describe recent data on meiotic drive elements involved in "spore killing" and the molecular basis of allorecognition-related cell death during cell fusion of genetically dissimilar cells. Finally, we discuss how fungal regulated cell death can be relevant in developing strategies to avoid resistance and tolerance to antifungal agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana M Rico-Ramírez
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - A Pedro Gonçalves
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, 701, Taiwan
| | - N Louise Glass
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Vogan AA, Martinossi-Allibert I, Ament-Velásquez SL, Svedberg J, Johannesson H. The spore killers, fungal meiotic driver elements. Mycologia 2022; 114:1-23. [PMID: 35138994 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2021.1994815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
During meiosis, both alleles of any given gene should have equal chances of being inherited by the progeny. There are a number of reasons why, however, this is not the case, with one of the most intriguing instances presenting itself as the phenomenon of meiotic drive. Genes that are capable of driving can manipulate the ratio of alleles among viable meiotic products so that they are inherited in more than half of them. In many cases, this effect is achieved by direct antagonistic interactions, where the driving allele inhibits or otherwise eliminates the alternative allele. In ascomycete fungi, meiotic products are packaged directly into ascospores; thus, the effect of meiotic drive has been given the nefarious moniker, "spore killing." In recent years, many of the known spore killers have been elevated from mysterious phenotypes to well-described systems at genetic, genomic, and molecular levels. In this review, we describe the known diversity of spore killers and synthesize the varied pieces of data from each system into broader trends regarding genome architecture, mechanisms of resistance, the role of transposable elements, their effect on population dynamics, speciation and gene flow, and finally how they may be developed as synthetic drivers. We propose that spore killing is common, but that it is under-observed because of a lack of studies on natural populations. We encourage researchers to seek new spore killers to build on the knowledge that these remarkable genetic elements can teach us about meiotic drive, genomic conflict, and evolution more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Vogan
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ivain Martinossi-Allibert
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.,Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaire, UMR 5095 CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, 33077, Bordeaux CEDEX, France
| | - S Lorena Ament-Velásquez
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jesper Svedberg
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, -Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zanders S, Johannesson H. Molecular Mechanisms and Evolutionary Consequences of Spore Killers in Ascomycetes. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e0001621. [PMID: 34756084 PMCID: PMC8579966 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00016-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we examine the fungal spore killers. These are meiotic drive elements that cheat during sexual reproduction to increase their transmission into the next generation. Spore killing has been detected in a number of ascomycete genera, including Podospora, Neurospora, Schizosaccharomyces, Bipolaris, and Fusarium. There have been major recent advances in spore killer research that have increased our understanding of the molecular identity, function, and evolutionary history of the known killers. The spore killers vary in the mechanism by which they kill and are divided into killer-target and poison-antidote drivers. In killer-target systems, the drive locus encodes an element that can be described as a killer, while the target is an allele found tightly linked to the drive locus but on the nondriving haplotype. The poison-antidote drive systems encode both a poison and an antidote element within the drive locus. The key to drive in this system is the restricted distribution of the antidote: only the spores that inherit the drive locus receive the antidote and are rescued from the toxicity of the poison. Spore killers also vary in their genome architecture and can consist of a single gene or multiple linked genes. Due to their ability to distort meiosis, spore killers gain a selective advantage at the gene level that allows them to increase in frequency in a population over time, even if they reduce host fitness, and they may have significant impact on genome architecture and macroevolutionary processes such as speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Hanna Johannesson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
López Hernández JF, Helston RM, Lange JJ, Billmyre RB, Schaffner SH, Eickbush MT, McCroskey S, Zanders SE. Diverse mating phenotypes impact the spread of wtf meiotic drivers in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. eLife 2021; 10:e70812. [PMID: 34895466 PMCID: PMC8789285 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic drivers are genetic elements that break Mendel's law of segregation to be transmitted into more than half of the offspring produced by a heterozygote. The success of a driver relies on outcrossing (mating between individuals from distinct lineages) because drivers gain their advantage in heterozygotes. It is, therefore, curious that Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a species reported to rarely outcross, harbors many meiotic drivers. To address this paradox, we measured mating phenotypes in S. pombe natural isolates. We found that the propensity for cells from distinct clonal lineages to mate varies between natural isolates and can be affected both by cell density and by the available sexual partners. Additionally, we found that the observed levels of preferential mating between cells from the same clonal lineage can slow, but not prevent, the spread of a wtf meiotic driver in the absence of additional fitness costs linked to the driver. These analyses reveal parameters critical to understanding the evolution of S. pombe and help explain the success of meiotic drivers in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | | | - Samantha H Schaffner
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Kenyon CollegeGambierUnited States
| | | | - Scott McCroskey
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Sarah E Zanders
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
In order to survive, most organisms must deal with parasites. Such parasites can be other organisms or, sometimes, selfish genes found within the host genome itself. While much is known about parasitic organisms, the interaction with their hosts, and their ability to spread within and between species, much less is known about selfish genes. We here identify a selfish “spore killer” gene in the fungus Neurospora sitophila. The gene appears to have evolved within the genus but has entered the species through hybridization and introgression. We also show that the host can counteract the gene through RNA interference. These results shed light on the diversity of selfish genes in terms of origin, evolution, and host interactions. Meiotic drive elements cause their own preferential transmission following meiosis. In fungi, this phenomenon takes the shape of spore killing, and in the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora sitophila, the Sk-1 spore killer element is found in many natural populations. In this study, we identify the gene responsible for spore killing in Sk-1 by generating both long- and short-read genomic data and by using these data to perform a genome-wide association test. We name this gene Spk-1. Through molecular dissection, we show that a single 405-nt-long open reading frame generates a product that both acts as a poison capable of killing sibling spores and as an antidote that rescues spores that produce it. By phylogenetic analysis, we demonstrate that the gene has likely been introgressed from the closely related species Neurospora hispaniola, and we identify three subclades of N. sitophila, one where Sk-1 is fixed, another where Sk-1 is absent, and a third where both killer and sensitive strain are found. Finally, we show that spore killing can be suppressed through an RNA interference-based genome defense pathway known as meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA. Spk-1 is not related to other known meiotic drive genes, and similar sequences are only found within Neurospora. These results shed light on the diversity of genes capable of causing meiotic drive, their origin and evolution, and their interaction with the host genome.
Collapse
|