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Miller SM, Stuart KC, Burke NW, Rollins LA, Bonduriansky R. Genetic and Phenotypic Consequences of Local Transitions between Sexual and Parthenogenetic Reproduction in the Wild. Am Nat 2024; 203:73-91. [PMID: 38207137 DOI: 10.1086/727511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
AbstractTransitions from sexual to asexual reproduction have occurred in numerous lineages, but it remains unclear why asexual populations rarely persist. In facultatively parthenogenetic animals, all-female populations can arise when males are absent or become extinct, and such populations could help to understand the genetic and phenotypic changes that occur in the initial stages of transitions to asexuality. We investigated a naturally occurring spatial mosaic of mixed-sex and all-female populations of the facultatively parthenogenetic Australian phasmid Megacrania batesii. Analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms indicated multiple independent transitions between reproductive modes. All-female populations had much lower heterozygosity and allelic diversity than mixed-sex populations, but we found few consistent differences in fitness-related traits between population types. All-female populations exhibited more frequent and severe deformities in their (flight-incapable) wings but did not show higher rates of appendage loss. All-female populations also harbored more ectoparasites in swamp (but not beach) habitats. Reproductive mode explained little variation in female body size, fecundity, or egg hatch rate. Our results suggest that transitions to parthenogenetic reproduction can lead to dramatic genetic changes with little immediate effect on performance. All-female M. batesii populations appear to consist of high-fitness genotypes that might be able to thrive for many generations in relatively constant and benign environments but could be vulnerable to environmental challenges, such as increased parasite abundance.
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2
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Fyon F, Berbel-Filho WM, Schlupp I, Wild G, Úbeda F. Why do hybrids turn down sex? Evolution 2023; 77:2186-2199. [PMID: 37459230 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Asexual reproduction is ancestral in prokaryotes; the switch to sexuality in eukaryotes is one of the major transitions in the history of life. The study of the maintenance of sex in eukaryotes has raised considerable interest for decades and is still one of evolutionary biology's most prominent question. The observation that many asexual species are of hybrid origin has led some to propose that asexuality in hybrids results from sexual processes being disturbed because of incompatibilities between the two parental species' genomes. However, in some cases, failure to produce asexual F1s in the lab may indicate that this mechanism is not the only road to asexuality in hybrid species. Here, we present a mathematical model and propose an alternative, adaptive route for the evolution of asexuality from previously sexual hybrids. Under some reproductive alterations, we show that asexuality can evolve to rescue hybrids' reproduction. Importantly, we highlight that when incompatibilities only affect the fusion of sperm and egg's genomes, the two traits that characterize asexuality, namely unreduced meiosis and the initiation of embryogenesis without the incorporation of the sperm's pronucleus, can evolve separately, greatly facilitating the overall evolutionary route. Taken together, our results provide an alternative, potentially complementary explanation for the link between asexuality and hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Fyon
- Department of Biology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Geoff Wild
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Francisco Úbeda
- Department of Biology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
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3
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Freitas S, Parker DJ, Labédan M, Dumas Z, Schwander T. Evidence for cryptic sex in parthenogenetic stick insects of the genus Timema. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230404. [PMID: 37727092 PMCID: PMC10509586 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0404] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Obligately parthenogenetic species are expected to be short lived since the lack of sex and recombination should translate into a slower adaptation rate and increased accumulation of deleterious alleles. Some, however, are thought to have been reproducing without males for millions of years. It is not clear how these old parthenogens can escape the predicted long-term costs of parthenogenesis, but an obvious explanation is cryptic sex. In this study, we screen for signatures of cryptic sex in eight populations of four parthenogenetic species of Timema stick insects, some estimated to be older than 1 Myr. Low genotype diversity, homozygosity of individuals and high linkage disequilibrium (LD) unaffected by marker distances support exclusively parthenogenetic reproduction in six populations. However, in two populations (namely, of the species Timema douglasi and T. monikensis) we find strong evidence for cryptic sex, most likely mediated by rare males. These populations had comparatively high genotype diversities, lower LD, and a clear LD decay with genetic distance. Rare sex in species that are otherwise largely parthenogenetic could help explain the unusual success of parthenogenesis in the Timema genus and raises the question whether episodes of rare sex are in fact the simplest explanation for the persistence of many old parthenogens in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Freitas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Darren J. Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Marjorie Labédan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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4
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Molinier C, Lenormand T, Haag CR. No recombination suppression in asexually produced males of Daphnia pulex. Evolution 2023; 77:1987-1999. [PMID: 37345677 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad114] [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: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Obligate parthenogenesis (OP) is often thought to evolve by disruption of reductional meiosis and suppression of crossover recombination. In the crustacean Daphnia pulex, OP lineages, which have evolved from cyclical parthenogenetic (CP) ancestors, occasionally produce males that are capable of reductional meiosis. Here, by constructing high-density linkage maps, we find that these males show only slightly and nonsignificantly reduced recombination rates compared to CP males and females. Both meiosis disruption and recombination suppression are therefore sex-limited (or partly so), which speaks against the evolution of OP by disruption of a gene that is essential for meiosis or recombination in both sexes. The findings may be explained by female-limited action of genes that suppress recombination, but previously identified candidate genes are known to be expressed in both sexes. Alternatively, and equally consistent with the data, OP might have evolved through a reuse of the parthenogenesis pathways already present in CP and through their extension to all events of oogenesis. The causal mutations for the CP to OP transition may therefore include mutations in genes involved in oogenesis regulation and may not necessarily be restricted to genes of the "meiosis toolkit." More generally, our study emphasizes that there are many ways to achieve asexuality, and elucidating the possible mechanisms is key to ultimately identify the genes and traits involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Molinier
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen, Germany
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5
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Xu LY, Wu WT, Bi N, Yan ZJ, Yang F, Yang WJ, Yang JS. A cytological revisit on parthenogenetic Artemia and the deficiency of a meiosis-specific recombinase DMC1 in the possible transition from bisexuality to parthenogenesis. Chromosoma 2023:10.1007/s00412-023-00790-x. [PMID: 36939898 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-023-00790-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Although parthenogenesis is widespread in nature and known to have close relationships with bisexuality, the transitional mechanism is poorly understood. Artemia is an ideal model to address this issue because bisexuality and "contagious" obligate parthenogenesis independently exist in its congeneric members. In the present study, we first performed chromosome spreading and immunofluorescence to compare meiotic processes of Artemia adopting two distinct reproductive ways. The results showed that, unlike conventional meiosis in bisexual Artemia, meiosis II in parthenogenic Artemia is entirely absent and anaphase I is followed by a single mitosis-like equational division. Interspecific comparative transcriptomics showed that two central molecules in homologous recombination (HR), Dmc1 and Rad51, exhibited significantly higher expression in bisexual versus parthenogenetic Artemia. qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of both genes peaked at the early oogenesis and gradually decreased afterward. Knocking-down by RNAi of Dmc1 in unfertilized females of bisexual Artemia resulted in a severe deficiency of homologous chromosome pairing and produced univalents at the middle oogenesis stage, which was similar to that of parthenogenic Artemia, while in contrast, silencing Rad51 led to no significant chromosome morphological change. Our results indicated that Dmc1 is vital for HR in bisexual Artemia, and the deficiency of Dmc1 may be correlated with or even possibly one of core factors in the transition from bisexuality to parthenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Ying Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wen-Tao Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ning Bi
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fan Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei-Jun Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jin-Shu Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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6
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Parker DJ, Jaron KS, Dumas Z, Robinson‐Rechavi M, Schwander T. X chromosomes show relaxed selection and complete somatic dosage compensation across
Timema
stick insect species. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1734-1750. [PMID: 35933721 PMCID: PMC10087215 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes have evolved repeatedly across the tree of life. As they are present in different copy numbers in males and females, they are expected to experience different selection pressures than the autosomes, with consequences including a faster rate of evolution, increased accumulation of sexually antagonistic alleles and the evolution of dosage compensation. Whether these consequences are general or linked to idiosyncrasies of specific taxa is not clear as relatively few taxa have been studied thus far. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing to identify and characterize the evolution of the X chromosome in five species of Timema stick insects with XX:X0 sex determination. The X chromosome had a similar size (approximately 12% of the genome) and gene content across all five species, suggesting that the X chromosome originated prior to the diversification of the genus. Genes on the X showed evidence of relaxed selection (elevated dN/dS) and a slower evolutionary rate (dN + dS) than genes on the autosomes, likely due to sex-biased mutation rates. Genes on the X also showed almost complete dosage compensation in somatic tissues (heads and legs), but dosage compensation was absent in the reproductive tracts. Contrary to prediction, sex-biased genes showed little enrichment on the X, suggesting that the advantage X-linkage provides to the accumulation of sexually antagonistic alleles is weak. Overall, we found the consequences of X-linkage on gene sequences and expression to be similar across Timema species, showing the characteristics of the X chromosome are surprisingly consistent over 30 million years of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren J. Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UK
| | - Kamil S. Jaron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences Institute of Evolutionary Biology University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson‐Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
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7
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Djordjevic J, Dumas Z, Robinson-Rechavi M, Schwander T, Parker DJ. Dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development in the stick insect Timema californicum. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:113-122. [PMID: 35581477 PMCID: PMC9338061 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00536-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic phenotypes are thought to arise primarily from sex-biased gene expression during development. Major changes in developmental strategies, such as the shift from hemimetabolous to holometabolous development, are therefore expected to have profound consequences for the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression. However, no studies have previously examined sex-biased gene expression during development in hemimetabolous insects, precluding comparisons between developmental strategies. Here we characterized sex-biased gene expression at three developmental stages in a hemimetabolous stick insect (Timema californicum): hatchlings, juveniles, and adults. As expected, the proportion of sex-biased genes gradually increased during development, mirroring the gradual increase of phenotypic sexual dimorphism. Sex-biased genes identified at early developmental stages were generally consistently male- or female-biased at later stages, suggesting their importance in sexual differentiation. Additionally, we compared the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development in T. californicum to those of the holometabolous fly Drosophila melanogaster by reanalyzing publicly available RNA-seq data from third instar larval, pupal and adult stages. In D. melanogaster, 84% of genes were sex-biased at the adult stage (compared to only 20% in T. californicum), and sex-biased gene expression increased abruptly at the adult stage when morphological sexual dimorphism is manifested. Our findings are consistent with the prediction that the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development differ extensively between holometabolous and hemimetabolous insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Darren James Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom.
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8
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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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9
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Jaron KS, Parker DJ, Anselmetti Y, Tran Van P, Bast J, Dumas Z, Figuet E, François CM, Hayward K, Rossier V, Simion P, Robinson-Rechavi M, Galtier N, Schwander T. Convergent consequences of parthenogenesis on stick insect genomes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabg3842. [PMID: 35196080 PMCID: PMC8865771 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The shift from sexual reproduction to parthenogenesis has occurred repeatedly in animals, but how the loss of sex affects genome evolution remains poorly understood. We generated reference genomes for five independently evolved parthenogenetic species in the stick insect genus Timema and their closest sexual relatives. Using these references and population genomic data, we show that parthenogenesis results in an extreme reduction of heterozygosity and often leads to genetically uniform populations. We also find evidence for less effective positive selection in parthenogenetic species, suggesting that sex is ubiquitous in natural populations because it facilitates fast rates of adaptation. Parthenogenetic species did not show increased transposable element (TE) accumulation, likely because there is little TE activity in the genus. By using replicated sexual-parthenogenetic comparisons, our study reveals how the absence of sex affects genome evolution in natural populations, providing empirical support for the negative consequences of parthenogenesis as predicted by theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil S. Jaron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
| | - Darren J. Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
| | | | - Patrick Tran Van
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jens Bast
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emeric Figuet
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Keith Hayward
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Victor Rossier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Simion
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Galtier
- ISEM—Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Montpellier, France
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (D.J.P.); (K.S.J.); (T.S.)
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10
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Yashiro T, Tea YK, Van Der Wal C, Nozaki T, Mizumoto N, Hellemans S, Matsuura K, Lo N. Enhanced heterozygosity from male meiotic chromosome chains is superseded by hybrid female asexuality in termites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2009533118. [PMID: 34903643 PMCID: PMC8713478 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009533118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although males are a ubiquitous feature of animals, they have been lost repeatedly in diverse lineages. The tendency for obligate asexuality to evolve is thought to be reduced in animals whose males play a critical role beyond the contribution of gametes, for example, via care of offspring or provision of nuptial gifts. To our knowledge, the evolution of obligate asexuality in such species is unknown. In some species that undergo frequent inbreeding, males are hypothesized to play a key role in maintaining genetic heterozygosity through the possession of neo-sex chromosomes, although empirical evidence for this is lacking. Because inbreeding is a key feature of the life cycle of termites, we investigated the potential role of males in promoting heterozygosity within populations through karyotyping and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses of the drywood termite Glyptotermes nakajimai We showed that males possess up to 15 out of 17 of their chromosomes as sex-linked (sex and neo-sex) chromosomes and that they maintain significantly higher levels of heterozygosity than do females. Furthermore, we showed that two obligately asexual lineages of this species-representing the only known all-female termite populations-arose independently via intraspecific hybridization between sexual lineages with differing diploid chromosome numbers. Importantly, these asexual females have markedly higher heterozygosity than their conspecific males and appear to have replaced the sexual lineages in some populations. Our results indicate that asexuality has enabled females to supplant a key role of males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Yashiro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia;
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yi-Kai Tea
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
- Ichthyology, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Cara Van Der Wal
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son 904-0495, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia;
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11
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Kuhn A, Aron S, Hardy OJ. Detection of Cryptic Sex in Automictic Populations: Theoretical Expectations and a Case Study in Cataglyphis Desert Ants. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.741959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive strategies are diverse and a whole continuum of mixed systems lies between strict sexuality and strict clonality (apomixis), including automixis, a parthenogenetic mode of reproduction involving a meiosis and increasing homozygosity over generations. These various systems impact the genetic structure of populations, which can therefore be used to infer reproductive strategies in natural populations. Here, we first develop a mathematical model, validated by simulations, to predict heterozygosity and inbreeding in mixed sexual-automictic populations. It highlights the predominant role of the rate of heterozygosity loss experienced during automixis (γ), which is locus dependent. When γ is low, mixed populations behave like purely sexual ones until sex becomes rare. In contrast, when γ is high, the erosion of genetic diversity is tightly correlated to the rate of sex, so that the individual inbreeding coefficient can inform on the ratio of sexual/asexual reproduction. In the second part of this study, we used our model to test the presence of cryptic sex in a hybridogenetic Cataglyphis ant where new queens are produced parthenogenetically, leaving males with an apparent null fitness while they are essential to colony development as sperm is required to produce workers. Occasional sexual production of queens could resolve this paradox by providing males some fertile progeny. To determine whether this occurs in natural populations, we simulated genotypic datasets in a population under various regimes of sexual vs. asexual reproduction for queen production and compared the distribution of inbreeding, expected heterozygosity and inter-individual relatedness coefficients with those observed in a natural population of Cataglyphis mauritanica using microsatellites. Our simulations show that the distribution of inter-individual relatedness coefficients was particularly informative to assess the relative rate of sexual/asexual reproduction, and our dataset was compatible with pure parthenogenesis but also with up to 2% sexual reproduction. Our approach, implemented in an R script, should be useful to assess reproductive strategies in other biological models.
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12
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Huylmans AK, Macon A, Hontoria F, Vicoso B. Transitions to asexuality and evolution of gene expression in Artemia brine shrimp. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211720. [PMID: 34547909 PMCID: PMC8456138 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1720] [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: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While sexual reproduction is widespread among many taxa, asexual lineages have repeatedly evolved from sexual ancestors. Despite extensive research on the evolution of sex, it is still unclear whether this switch represents a major transition requiring major molecular reorganization, and how convergent the changes involved are. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic relationship and patterns of gene expression of sexual and asexual lineages of Eurasian Artemia brine shrimp, to assess how gene expression patterns are affected by the transition to asexuality. We find only a few genes that are consistently associated with the evolution of asexuality, suggesting that this shift may not require an extensive overhauling of the meiotic machinery. While genes with sex-biased expression have high rates of expression divergence within Eurasian Artemia, neither female- nor male-biased genes appear to show unusual evolutionary patterns after sexuality is lost, contrary to theoretical expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Kathrin Huylmans
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Ariana Macon
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Francisco Hontoria
- Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain
| | - Beatriz Vicoso
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
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13
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Nozaki T, Suetsugu K, Sato K, Sato R, Takagi T, Funaki S, Ito K, Kurita K, Isagi Y, Kaneko S. Development of microsatellite markers for the geographically parthenogenetic stick insect Phraortes elongatus (Insecta: Phasmatodea). Genes Genet Syst 2021; 96:199-203. [PMID: 34483152 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.21-00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many plant and animal species exhibit geographic parthenogenesis, wherein unisexual (= parthenogenetic) lineages are more common in their marginal habitats such as high latitude or altitudes than their closely related bisexual counterparts. The Japanese stick insect, Phraortes elongatus (Thunberg) (Insecta: Phasmatodea), is known as a geographically parthenogenetic species due to the existence of both bisexual and unisexual populations. Here, we developed microsatellite markers to infer the genetic variation among populations of P. elongatus. Totally, 13 primer pairs were developed for the species, and they were tested on 47 samples collected from both a bisexual population and a unisexual population. All 13 loci were polymorphic in the bisexual population, whereas no loci were polymorphic in the unisexual population. The loss of variation in the unisexual population implies automixis with terminal fusion or gamete duplication as the mode of parthenogenesis. The markers developed in this study will be helpful for further comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity and gene flow between bisexual and parthenogenetic lineages of P. elongatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonari Nozaki
- Center for the Development of New Model Organisms, National Institute for Basic Biology
| | - Kenji Suetsugu
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University
| | - Kai Sato
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Ryuta Sato
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Toshihito Takagi
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
| | - Shoichi Funaki
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University
| | - Katsura Ito
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University
| | | | - Yuji Isagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
| | - Shingo Kaneko
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University
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14
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Wu C, Twort VG, Newcomb RD, Buckley TR. Divergent Gene Expression Following Duplication of Meiotic Genes in the Stick Insect Clitarchus hookeri. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6245840. [PMID: 33885769 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Some animal groups, such as stick insects (Phasmatodea), have repeatedly evolved alternative reproductive strategies, including parthenogenesis. Genomic studies have found modification of the genes underlying meiosis exists in some of these animals. Here we examine the evolution of copy number, evolutionary rate, and gene expression in candidate meiotic genes of the New Zealand geographic parthenogenetic stick insect Clitarchus hookeri. We characterized 101 genes from a de novo transcriptome assembly from female and male gonads that have homology with meiotic genes from other arthropods. For each gene we determined copy number, the pattern of gene duplication relative to other arthropod orthologs, and the potential for meiosis-specific expression. There are five genes duplicated in C. hookeri, including one also duplicated in the stick insect Timema cristinae, that are not or are uncommonly duplicated in other arthropods. These included two sister chromatid cohesion associated genes (SA2 and SCC2), a recombination gene (HOP1), an RNA-silencing gene (AGO2) and a cell-cycle regulation gene (WEE1). Interestingly, WEE1 and SA2 are also duplicated in the cyclical parthenogenetic aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum and Daphnia duplex, respectively, indicating possible roles in the evolution of reproductive mode. Three of these genes (SA2, SCC2, and WEE1) have one copy displaying gonad-specific expression. All genes, with the exception of WEE1, have significantly different nonsynonymous/synonymous ratios between the gene duplicates, indicative of a shift in evolutionary constraints following duplication. These results suggest that stick insects may have evolved genes with novel functions in gamete production by gene duplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand.,New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Victoria G Twort
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand.,Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, LUOMUS, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Richard D Newcomb
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.,New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas R Buckley
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
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15
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Liegeois M, Sartori M, Schwander T. Extremely Widespread Parthenogenesis and a Trade-Off Between Alternative Forms of Reproduction in Mayflies (Ephemeroptera). J Hered 2021; 112:45-57. [PMID: 32918457 PMCID: PMC7953839 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying alternative forms of reproduction in natural populations is of fundamental importance for understanding the costs and benefits of sex. Mayflies are one of the few animal groups where sexual reproduction co-occurs with different types of parthenogenesis, providing ideal conditions for identifying benefits of sex in natural populations. Here, we establish a catalog of all known mayfly species capable of reproducing by parthenogenesis, as well as species unable to do so. Overall, 1.8% of the described species reproduce parthenogenetically, which is an order of magnitude higher than reported in other animal groups. This frequency even reaches 47.8% if estimates are based on the number of studied rather than described mayfly species, as reproductive modes have thus far been studied in only 17 out of 42 families. We find that sex is a more successful strategy than parthenogenesis (associated with a higher hatching success of eggs), with a trade-off between the hatching success of parthenogenetic and sexual eggs. This means that improving the capacity for parthenogenesis may come at a cost for sexual reproduction. Such a trade-off can help explain why facultative parthenogenesis is extremely rare among animals despite its potential to combine the benefits of sexual and parthenogenetic reproduction. We argue that parthenogenesis is frequently selected in mayflies in spite of this probable trade-off because their typically low dispersal ability and short and fragile adult life may frequently generate situations of mate limitation in females. Mayflies are currently clearly underappreciated for understanding the benefits of sex under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Liegeois
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Cantonal Museum of Zoology, Palais de Rumine, Place de la Riponne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michel Sartori
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Cantonal Museum of Zoology, Palais de Rumine, Place de la Riponne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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16
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Amiri A, Bandani AR. Facultative deuterotokous parthenogenesis in Callosobruchus maculatus. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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17
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Pachl P, Uusitalo M, Scheu S, Schaefer I, Maraun M. Repeated convergent evolution of parthenogenesis in Acariformes (Acari). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:321-337. [PMID: 33437432 PMCID: PMC7790623 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of old species-rich parthenogenetic taxa is a conundrum in evolutionary biology. Such taxa point to ancient parthenogenetic radiations resulting in morphologically distinct species. Ancient parthenogenetic taxa have been proposed to exist in bdelloid rotifers, darwinulid ostracods, and in several taxa of acariform mites (Acariformes, Acari), especially in oribatid mites (Oribatida, Acari). Here, we investigate the diversification of Acariformes and their ancestral mode of reproduction using 18S rRNA. Because parthenogenetic taxa tend to be more frequent in phylogenetically old taxa of Acariformes, we sequenced a wide range of members of this taxon, including early-derivative taxa of Prostigmata, Astigmata, Endeostigmata, and Oribatida. Ancestral character state reconstruction indicated that (a) Acariformes as well as Oribatida evolved from a sexual ancestor, (b) the primary mode of reproduction during evolution of Acariformes was sexual; however, species-rich parthenogenetic taxa radiated independently at least four times (in Brachychthonioidea (Oribatida), Enarthronota (Oribatida), and twice in Nothrina (Oribatida), (c) parthenogenesis additionally evolved frequently in species-poor taxa, for example, Tectocepheus, Oppiella, Rostrozetes, Limnozetes, and Atropacarus, and (d) sexual reproduction likely re-evolved at least three times from species-rich parthenogenetic clusters, in Crotonia (Nothrina), in Mesoplophora/Apoplophora (Mesoplophoridae, Enarthronota), and in Sphaerochthonius/Prototritia (Protoplophoridae, Enarthronota). We discuss possible reasons that favored the frequent diversification of parthenogenetic taxa including the continuous long-term availability of dead organic matter resources as well as generalist feeding of species as indicated by natural variations in stable isotope ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Pachl
- JFB Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Matti Uusitalo
- Zoological MuseumCentre for Biodiversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Stefan Scheu
- JFB Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land UseUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- JFB Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Mark Maraun
- JFB Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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18
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Hojsgaard D, Schartl M. Skipping sex: A nonrecombinant genomic assemblage of complementary reproductive modules. Bioessays 2020; 43:e2000111. [PMID: 33169369 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The unusual occurrence and developmental diversity of asexual eukaryotes remain a puzzle. De novo formation of a functioning asexual genome requires a unique assembly of sets of genes or gene states to disrupt cellular mechanisms of meiosis and gametogenesis, and to affect discrete components of sexuality and produce clonal or hemiclonal offspring. We highlight two usually overlooked but essential conditions to understand the molecular nature of clonal organisms, that is, a nonrecombinant genomic assemblage retaining modifiers of the sexual program, and a complementation between altered reproductive components. These subtle conditions are the basis for physiologically viable and genetically balanced transitions between generations. Genomic and developmental evidence from asexual animals and plants indicates the lack of complementation of molecular changes in the sexual reproductive program is likely the main cause of asexuals' rarity, and can provide an explanatory frame for the developmental diversity and lability of developmental patterns in some asexuals as well as for the discordant time to extinction estimations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Hojsgaard
- Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
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19
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Yuzon JD, Travadon R, Malar C M, Tripathy S, Rank N, Mehl HK, Rizzo DM, Cobb R, Small C, Tang T, McCown HE, Garbelotto M, Kasuga T. Asexual Evolution and Forest Conditions Drive Genetic Parallelism in Phytophthora ramorum. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E940. [PMID: 32580470 PMCID: PMC7357085 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that asexual lineages are short-lived evolutionarily, yet many asexual organisms can generate genetic and phenotypic variation, providing an avenue for further evolution. Previous work on the asexual plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum NA1 revealed considerable genetic variation in the form of Structural Variants (SVs). To better understand how SVs arise and their significance to the California NA1 population, we studied the evolutionary histories of SVs and the forest conditions associated with their emergence. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that SVs arose by somatic mutations among multiple independent lineages, rather than by recombination. We asked if this unusual phenomenon of parallel evolution between isolated populations is transmitted to extant lineages and found that SVs persist longer in a population if their genetic background had a lower mutation load. Genetic parallelism was also found in geographically distant demes where forest conditions such as host density, solar radiation, and temperature, were similar. Parallel SVs overlap with genes involved in pathogenicity such as RXLRs and have the potential to change the course of an epidemic. By combining genomics and environmental data, we identified an unexpected pattern of repeated evolution in an asexual population and identified environmental factors potentially driving this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer David Yuzon
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Renaud Travadon
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Mathu Malar C
- CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India; (M.M.C.); (S.T.)
| | - Sucheta Tripathy
- CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India; (M.M.C.); (S.T.)
| | - Nathan Rank
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA;
| | - Heather K. Mehl
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - David M. Rizzo
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Richard Cobb
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA;
| | - Corinn Small
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Tiffany Tang
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Haley E. McCown
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (R.T.); (H.K.M.); (D.M.R.); (C.S.); (T.T.); (H.E.M.)
| | - Matteo Garbelotto
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
| | - Takao Kasuga
- Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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20
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Abstract
The absence of a paternal contribution in an unfertilized ovum presents two developmental constraints against the evolution of parthenogenesis. We discuss the constraint caused by the absence of a centrosome and the one caused by the missing set of chromosomes and how they have been broken in specific taxa. They are examples of only a few well-underpinned examples of developmental constraints acting at macro-evolutionary scales in animals. Breaking of the constraint of the missing chromosomes is the best understood and generally involves rare occasions of drastic changes of meiosis. These drastic changes can be best explained by having been induced, or at least facilitated, by sudden cytological events (e.g., repeated rounds of hybridization, endosymbiont infections, and contagious infections). Once the genetic and developmental machinery is in place for regular or obligate parthenogenesis, shifts to other types of parthenogenesis can apparently rather easily evolve, for example, from facultative to obligate parthenogenesis, or from pseudoarrhenotoky to haplodiploidy. We argue that the combination of the two developmental constraints forms a near-absolute barrier against the gradual evolution from sporadic to obligate or regular facultative parthenogenesis, which can probably explain why the occurrence of the highly advantageous mode of regular facultative parthenogenesis is so rare and entirely absent in vertebrates.
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21
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Sex-biased gene expression is repeatedly masculinized in asexual females. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4638. [PMID: 31604947 PMCID: PMC6789136 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12659-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females feature strikingly different phenotypes, despite sharing most of their genome. A resolution of this apparent paradox is through differential gene expression, whereby genes are expressed at different levels in each sex. This resolution, however, is likely to be incomplete, leading to conflict between males and females over the optimal expression of genes. Here we test the hypothesis that gene expression in females is constrained from evolving to its optimum level due to sexually antagonistic selection on males, by examining changes in sex-biased gene expression in five obligate asexual species of stick insect, which do not produce males. We predicted that the transcriptome of asexual females would be feminized as asexual females do not experience any sexual conflict. Contrary to our prediction we find that asexual females feature masculinized gene expression, and hypothesise that this is due to shifts in female optimal gene expression levels following the suppression of sex.
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22
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Burke NW, Bonduriansky R. The paradox of obligate sex: The roles of sexual conflict and mate scarcity in transitions to facultative and obligate asexuality. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1230-1241. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W. Burke
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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23
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Morgan-Richards M, Langton-Myers SS, Trewick SA. Loss and gain of sexual reproduction in the same stick insect. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3929-3941. [PMID: 31386772 PMCID: PMC6852293 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The outcome of competition between different reproductive strategies within a single species can be used to infer selective advantage of the winning strategy. Where multiple populations have independently lost or gained sexual reproduction it is possible to investigate whether the advantage is contingent on local conditions. In the New Zealand stick insect Clitarchus hookeri, three populations are distinguished by recent change in reproductive strategy and we determine their likely origins. One parthenogenetic population has established in the United Kingdom and we provide evidence that sexual reproduction has been lost in this population. We identify the sexual population from which the parthenogenetic population was derived, but show that the UK females have a post‐mating barrier to fertilisation. We also demonstrate that two sexual populations have recently arisen in New Zealand within the natural range of the mtDNA lineage that otherwise characterizes parthenogenesis in this species. We infer independent origins of males at these two locations using microsatellite genotypes. In one population, a mixture of local and nonlocal alleles suggested males were the result of invasion. Males in another population were most probably the result of loss of an X chromosome that produced a male phenotype in situ. Two successful switches in reproductive strategy suggest local competitive advantage for outcrossing over parthenogenetic reproduction. Clitarchus hookeri provides remarkable evidence of repeated and rapid changes in reproductive strategy, with competitive outcomes dependent on local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steven A Trewick
- Wildlife & Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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24
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The role of hybridisation in the origin and evolutionary persistence of vertebrate parthenogens: a case study of Darevskia lizards. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:795-808. [PMID: 31413332 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0256-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligate parthenogenesis is found in only 0.1% of the vertebrate species, is thought to be relatively short lived and is typically of hybrid origin. However, neither the evolutionary persistence of asexuality in vertebrates, nor the conditions that allow the generation of new parthenogenetic lineages are currently well understood. It has been proposed that vertebrate parthenogenetic lineages arise from hybridisation between two divergent taxa within a specific range of phylogenetic distances (the 'Balance Hypothesis'). Moreover, parthenogenetic species often maintain a certain level of hybridisation with their closest sexual relatives, potentially generating new polyploid hybrid lineages. Here we address the role of hybridisation in the origin and evolutionary lifespan of vertebrate parthenogens. We use a set of microsatellite markers to characterise the origins of parthenogens in the lizard genus Darevskia, to study the distinctiveness of sexual and asexual taxa currently in sympatry, and to analyse the evolutionary consequences of interspecific hybridisation between asexual females and sexual males. We find that parthenogens result from multiple past hybridisation events between species from specific lineages over a range of phylogenetic distances. This suggests that the Balance Hypothesis needs to allow for lineage-specific effects, as envisaged in the Phylogenetic Constraint Hypothesis. Our results show recurrent backcrossing between sexual and parthenogenic Darevskia but neither gene flow nor formation of new asexual lineages. We suggest that, along with their demographic advantage, parthenogens gain additional leverage to outcompete sexuals in nature when the retention of sexual reproductive machinery allows backcrossing with their sexual ancestors.
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25
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Bast J, Parker DJ, Dumas Z, Jalvingh KM, Tran Van P, Jaron KS, Figuet E, Brandt A, Galtier N, Schwander T. Consequences of Asexuality in Natural Populations: Insights from Stick Insects. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1668-1677. [PMID: 29659991 PMCID: PMC5995167 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination is a fundamental process with significant impacts on genome evolution. Predicted consequences of the loss of recombination include a reduced effectiveness of selection, changes in the amount of neutral polymorphisms segregating in populations, and an arrest of GC-biased gene conversion. Although these consequences are empirically well documented for nonrecombining genome portions, it remains largely unknown if they extend to the whole genome scale in asexual organisms. We identify the consequences of asexuality using de novo transcriptomes of five independently derived, obligately asexual lineages of stick insects, and their sexual sister-species. We find strong evidence for higher rates of deleterious mutation accumulation, lower levels of segregating polymorphisms and arrested GC-biased gene conversion in asexuals as compared with sexuals. Taken together, our study conclusively shows that predicted consequences of genome evolution under asexuality can indeed be found in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bast
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Darren J Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten M Jalvingh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Tran Van
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kamil S Jaron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emeric Figuet
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexander Brandt
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Galtier
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Parker DJ, Djordjevic J, Schwander T. Olfactory Proteins in Timema Stick Insects. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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27
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Tvedte ES, Logsdon JM, Forbes AA. Sex loss in insects: causes of asexuality and consequences for genomes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 31:77-83. [PMID: 31109677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Boasting a staggering diversity of reproductive strategies, insects provide attractive models for the comparative study of the causes and consequences of transitions to asexuality. We provide an overview of some contemporary studies of reproductive systems in insects and compile an initial database of asexual insect genome resources. Insect systems have already yielded some important insights into various mechanisms by which sex is lost, including genetic, endosymbiont-mediated, and hybridization. Studies of mutation and substitution after loss of sex provide the strongest empirical support for hypothesized effects of asexuality, whereas there is mixed evidence for ecological hypotheses such as increased parasite load and altered niche breadth in asexuals. Most hypotheses have been explored in a select few taxa (e.g. stick insects, aphids), such that much of the great taxonomic breadth of insects remain understudied. Given the variation in the proximate causes of asexuality in insects, we argue for expanding the taxonomic breadth of study systems. Despite some challenges for investigating sex in insects, the increasing cost-effectiveness of genomic sequencing makes data generation for closely-related asexual and sexual lineages increasingly feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Tvedte
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - John M Logsdon
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Andrew A Forbes
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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28
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Parker DJ, Bast J, Jalvingh K, Dumas Z, Robinson-Rechavi M, Schwander T. Repeated Evolution of Asexuality Involves Convergent Gene Expression Changes. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:350-364. [PMID: 30445505 PMCID: PMC6404633 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual reproduction has evolved repeatedly from sexual ancestors across a wide range of taxa. Whereas the costs and benefits associated with asexuality have received considerable attention, the molecular changes underpinning the evolution of asexual reproduction remain relatively unexplored. In particular, it is completely unknown whether the repeated evolution of asexual phenotypes involves similar molecular changes, as previous studies have focused on changes occurring in single lineages. Here, we investigate the extent of convergent gene expression changes across five independent transitions to asexuality in stick insects. We compared gene expression of asexual females to females of close sexual relatives in whole-bodies, reproductive tracts, and legs. We identified a striking amount of convergent gene expression change (up to 8% of genes), greatly exceeding that expected by chance. Convergent changes were also tissue-specific, and most likely driven by selection for functional changes. Genes showing convergent changes in the reproductive tract were associated with meiotic spindle formation and centrosome organization. These genes are particularly interesting as they can influence the production of unreduced eggs, a key barrier to asexual reproduction. Changes in legs and whole-bodies were likely involved in female sexual trait decay, with enrichment in terms such as sperm-storage and pigmentation. By identifying changes occurring across multiple independent transitions to asexuality, our results provide a rare insight into the molecular basis of asexual phenotypes and suggest that the evolutionary path to asexuality is highly constrained, requiring repeated changes to the same key genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren J Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jens Bast
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Jalvingh
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Loxdale HD. Aspects, Including Pitfalls, of Temporal Sampling of Flying Insects, with Special Reference to Aphids. INSECTS 2018; 9:E153. [PMID: 30388726 PMCID: PMC6316496 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Since the advent and widespread use of high-resolution molecular markers in the late 1970s, it is now well established that natural populations of insects are not necessarily homogeneous genetically and show variations at different spatial scales due to a variety of reasons, including hybridization/introgression events. In a similar vein, populations of insects are not necessarily homogenous in time, either over the course of seasons or even within a single season. This of course has profound consequences for surveys examining, for whatever reason/s, the temporal population patterns of insects, especially flying insects as mostly discussed here. In the present article, the topics covered include climate and climate change; changes in ecological niches due to changes in available hosts, i.e., essentially, adaptation events; hybridization influencing behaviour⁻host shifts; infection by pathogens and parasites/parasitoids; habituation to light, sound and pheromone lures; chromosomal/genetic changes affecting physiology and behaviour; and insecticide resistance. If such phenomena-i.e., aspects and pitfalls-are not considered during spatio-temporal study programmes, which is even more true in the light of the recent discovery of morphologically similar/identical cryptic species, then the conclusions drawn in terms of the efforts to combat pest insects or conserve rare and endangered species may be in error and hence end in failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh D Loxdale
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales, UK.
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30
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Yashiro T, Lo N, Kobayashi K, Nozaki T, Fuchikawa T, Mizumoto N, Namba Y, Matsuura K. Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites. BMC Biol 2018; 16:96. [PMID: 30249269 PMCID: PMC6154949 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual reproduction is the norm in almost all animal species, and in many advanced animal societies, both males and females participate in social activities. To date, the complete loss of males from advanced social animal lineages has been reported only in ants and honey bees (Hymenoptera), whose workers are always female and whose males display no helping behaviors even in normal sexual species. Asexuality has not previously been observed in colonies of another major group of social insects, the termites, where the ubiquitous presence of both male and female workers and soldiers indicate that males play a critical role beyond that of reproduction. Results Here, we report asexual societies in a lineage of the termite Glyptotermes nakajimai. We investigated the composition of mature colonies from ten distinct populations in Japan, finding six asexual populations characterized by a lack of any males in the reproductive, soldier, and worker castes of their colonies, an absence of sperm in the spermathecae of their queens, and the development of unfertilized eggs at a level comparable to that for the development of fertilized eggs in sexual populations of this species. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a single evolutionary origin of the asexual populations, with divergence from sampled sexual populations occurring about 14 million years ago. Asexual colonies differ from sexual colonies in having a more uniform head size in their all-female soldier caste, and fewer soldiers in proportion to other individuals, suggesting increased defensive efficiencies arising from uniform soldier morphology. Such efficiencies may have contributed to the persistence and spread of the asexual lineage. Cooperative colony foundation by multiple queens, the single-site nesting life history common to both the asexual and sexual lineages, and the occasional development of eggs without fertilization even in the sexual lineage are traits likely to have been present in the ancestors of the asexual lineage that may have facilitated the transition to asexuality. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that completely asexual social lineages can evolve from mixed-sex termite societies, providing evidence that males are dispensable for the maintenance of advanced animal societies in which they previously played an active social role. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0563-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Yashiro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Kazuya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Tomonari Nozaki
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Taro Fuchikawa
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yusuke Namba
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuura
- Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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31
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Nosil P, Villoutreix R, de Carvalho CF, Farkas TE, Soria-Carrasco V, Feder JL, Crespi BJ, Gompert Z. Natural selection and the predictability of evolution in Timema stick insects. Science 2018; 359:765-770. [PMID: 29449486 DOI: 10.1126/science.aap9125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Predicting evolution remains difficult. We studied the evolution of cryptic body coloration and pattern in a stick insect using 25 years of field data, experiments, and genomics. We found that evolution is more difficult to predict when it involves a balance between multiple selective factors and uncertainty in environmental conditions than when it involves feedback loops that cause consistent back-and-forth fluctuations. Specifically, changes in color-morph frequencies are modestly predictable through time (r2 = 0.14) and driven by complex selective regimes and yearly fluctuations in climate. In contrast, temporal changes in pattern-morph frequencies are highly predictable due to negative frequency-dependent selection (r2 = 0.86). For both traits, however, natural selection drives evolution around a dynamic equilibrium, providing some predictability to the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Romain Villoutreix
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | | | - Timothy E Farkas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06369, USA
| | - Víctor Soria-Carrasco
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jeffrey L Feder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Zach Gompert
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
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32
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Alavi Y, van Rooyen A, Elgar MA, Jones TM, Weeks AR. Novel microsatellite markers suggest the mechanism of parthenogenesis in Extatosoma tiaratum is automixis with terminal fusion. INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:24-32. [PMID: 27345587 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Parthenogenetic reproduction is taxonomically widespread and occurs through various cytological mechanisms, which have different impact on the genetic variation of the offspring. Extatosoma tiaratum is a facultatively parthenogenetic Australian insect (Phasmatodea), in which females oviposit continuously throughout their adult lifespan irrespective of mating. Fertilized eggs produce sons and daughters through sexual reproduction and unfertilized eggs produce female offspring via parthenogenesis. Here, we developed novel microsatellite markers for E. tiaratum and characterized them by genotyping individuals from a natural population. We then used the microsatellite markers to infer the cytological mechanism of parthenogenesis in this species. We found evidence suggesting parthenogenesis in E. tiaratum occurs through automixis with terminal fusion, resulting in substantial loss of microsatellite heterozygosity in the offspring. Loss of microsatellite heterozygosity may be associated with loss of heterozygosity in fitness related loci. The mechanism of parthenogenetic reproduction can therefore affect fitness outcomes and needs to be considered when comparing costs and benefits of sex versus parthenogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Alavi
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Raymond Weeks
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cesar Pty Ltd, 293 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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33
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Lenormand T, Engelstädter J, Johnston SE, Wijnker E, Haag CR. Evolutionary mysteries in meiosis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2016.0001. [PMID: 27619705 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a key event of sexual life cycles in eukaryotes. Its mechanistic details have been uncovered in several model organisms, and most of its essential features have received various and often contradictory evolutionary interpretations. In this perspective, we present an overview of these often 'weird' features. We discuss the origin of meiosis (origin of ploidy reduction and recombination, two-step meiosis), its secondary modifications (in polyploids or asexuals, inverted meiosis), its importance in punctuating life cycles (meiotic arrests, epigenetic resetting, meiotic asymmetry, meiotic fairness) and features associated with recombination (disjunction constraints, heterochiasmy, crossover interference and hotspots). We present the various evolutionary scenarios and selective pressures that have been proposed to account for these features, and we highlight that their evolutionary significance often remains largely mysterious. Resolving these mysteries will likely provide decisive steps towards understanding why sex and recombination are found in the majority of eukaryotes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lenormand
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Jan Engelstädter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Susan E Johnston
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Erik Wijnker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christoph R Haag
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)-Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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34
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Lindtke D, Lucek K, Soria-Carrasco V, Villoutreix R, Farkas TE, Riesch R, Dennis SR, Gompert Z, Nosil P. Long-term balancing selection on chromosomal variants associated with crypsis in a stick insect. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:6189-6205. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Lindtke
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - Kay Lucek
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
- Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | | | - Romain Villoutreix
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - Timothy E. Farkas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Connecticut; Storrs CT USA
| | - Rüdiger Riesch
- School of Biological Sciences; Royal Holloway; University of London; Egham UK
| | - Stuart R. Dennis
- Department of Aquatic Ecology; Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Zach Gompert
- Department of Biology; Utah State University; Logan UT USA
| | - Patrik Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
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35
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Rossi V, Martorella A, Scudieri D, Menozzi P. Seasonal niche partitioning and coexistence of amphimictic and parthenogenetic lineages of Heterocypris barbara (Crustacea: Ostracoda). CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Sympatry of amphimictic and parthenogenetic lineages in species with mixed reproductive systems is rarely observed in nature. On Lampedusa Island (Pelagie Islands, Italy), amphimictic and parthenogenetic lineages of Heterocypris barbara (Gauthier and Brehm, 1928) co-occur in a temporary pond. Their sympatric persistence calls for an ecological differentiation. We investigated the role of seasonal variation of temperature and photoperiod conditions by two different approaches: microcosms set up by inundation of dry sediments from the temporary pond and life-table experiments. Microcosms recreate conditions similar to the field and in their sediments random samples of resting eggs of both amphimictic and parthenogenetic females are stored. Life-table experiments supplied individual-based estimates of survivorship, adult life span, fecundity, and sex ratio in the progeny. We carried out the experiments at 24 °C and a photoperiod of 12 h light (L) : 12 h dark (D) (simulating fall conditions) and at 16 °C and a photoperiod of 10 h L : 14 h D (simulating winter conditions). Males and amphimictic females were the most numerous forms at 24 °C and 12 h L : 12 h D; parthenogenetic females were dominant at 16 °C and 10 h L : 14 h D. Life-table experiments showed that amphimictic forms do not complete development at 16 °C and 10 h L : 14 h D. Our results suggest that sympatry of amphimictic and parthenogenetic females in the field depends on seasonal niche partitioning and the storage effect of resting eggs that allows survival through adverse-season conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. Rossi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
| | - A. Martorella
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
| | - D. Scudieri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
| | - P. Menozzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
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36
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Riparbelli MG, Gottardo M, Callaini G. Parthenogenesis in Insects: The Centriole Renaissance. Results Probl Cell Differ 2017; 63:435-479. [PMID: 28779329 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60855-6_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Building a new organism usually requires the contribution of two differently shaped haploid cells, the male and female gametes, each providing its genetic material to restore diploidy of the new born zygote. The successful execution of this process requires defined sequential steps that must be completed in space and time. Otherwise, development fails. Relevant among the earlier steps are pronuclear migration and formation of the first mitotic spindle that promote the mixing of parental chromosomes and the formation of the zygotic nucleus. A complex microtubule network ensures the proper execution of these processes. Instrumental to microtubule organization and bipolar spindle assembly is a distinct non-membranous organelle, the centrosome. Centrosome inheritance during fertilization is biparental, since both gametes provide essential components to build a functional centrosome. This model does not explain, however, centrosome formation during parthenogenetic development, a special mode of sexual reproduction in which the unfertilized egg develops without the contribution of the male gamete. Moreover, whereas fertilization is a relevant example in which the cells actively check the presence of only one centrosome, to avoid multipolar spindle formation, the development of parthenogenetic eggs is ensured, at least in insects, by the de novo assembly of multiple centrosomes.Here, we will focus our attention on the assembly of functional centrosomes following fertilization and during parthenogenetic development in insects. Parthenogenetic development in which unfertilized eggs are naturally depleted of centrosomes would provide a useful experimental system to investigate centriole assembly and duplication together with centrosome formation and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Gottardo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Giuliano Callaini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
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37
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Vershinina AO, Kuznetsova VG. Parthenogenesis in Hexapoda: Entognatha and non-holometabolous insects. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alisa O. Vershinina
- Department of Karyosystematics; Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences; St. Petersburg Russia
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; University of California Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Valentina G. Kuznetsova
- Department of Karyosystematics; Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences; St. Petersburg Russia
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38
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Morgan-Richards M, Hills SFK, Biggs PJ, Trewick SA. Sticky Genomes: Using NGS Evidence to Test Hybrid Speciation Hypotheses. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154911. [PMID: 27187689 PMCID: PMC4871368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypotheses of hybrid origin are common. Here we use next generation sequencing to test a hybrid hypothesis for a non-model insect with a large genome. We compared a putative hybrid triploid stick insect species (Acanthoxyla geisovii) with its putative paternal diploid taxon (Clitarchus hookeri), a relationship that provides clear predictions for the relative genetic diversity within each genome. The parental taxon is expected to have comparatively low allelic diversity that is nested within the diversity of the hybrid daughter genome. The scale of genome sequencing required was conveniently achieved by extracting mRNA and sequencing cDNA to examine expressed allelic diversity. This allowed us to test hybrid-progenitor relationships among non-model organisms with large genomes and different ploidy levels. Examination of thousands of independent loci avoids potential problems produced by the silencing of parts of one or other of the parental genomes, a phenomenon sometimes associated with the process of stabilisation of a hybrid genome. Transcript assembles were assessed for evidence of paralogs and/or alternative splice variants before proceeding. Comparison of transcript assemblies was not an appropriate measure of genetic variability, but by mapping reads back to clusters derived from each species we determined levels of allelic diversity. We found greater cDNA sequence diversity among alleles in the putative hybrid species (Acanthoxyla geisovii) than the non-hybrid. The allelic diversity within the putative paternal species (Clitachus hookeri) nested within the hybrid-daughter genome, supports the current view of a hybrid-progenitor relationship for these stick insect species. Next generation sequencing technology provides opportunities for testing evolutionary hypotheses with non-model organisms, including, as here, genomes that are large due to polyploidy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Morgan-Richards
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Simon F. K. Hills
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Patrick J. Biggs
- Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute of Veterinary, Animal & Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Steven A. Trewick
- Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Vogt G, Falckenhayn C, Schrimpf A, Schmid K, Hanna K, Panteleit J, Helm M, Schulz R, Lyko F. The marbled crayfish as a paradigm for saltational speciation by autopolyploidy and parthenogenesis in animals. Biol Open 2015; 4:1583-94. [PMID: 26519519 PMCID: PMC4728364 DOI: 10.1242/bio.014241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The parthenogenetic all-female marbled crayfish is a novel research model and potent invader of freshwater ecosystems. It is a triploid descendant of the sexually reproducing slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, but its taxonomic status has remained unsettled. By cross-breeding experiments and parentage analysis we show here that marbled crayfish and P. fallax are reproductively separated. Both crayfish copulate readily, suggesting that the reproductive barrier is set at the cytogenetic rather than the behavioural level. Analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes of marbled crayfish from laboratory lineages and wild populations demonstrates genetic identity and indicates a single origin. Flow cytometric comparison of DNA contents of haemocytes and analysis of nuclear microsatellite loci confirm triploidy and suggest autopolyploidisation as its cause. Global DNA methylation is significantly reduced in marbled crayfish implying the involvement of molecular epigenetic mechanisms in its origination. Morphologically, both crayfish are very similar but growth and fecundity are considerably larger in marbled crayfish, making it a different animal with superior fitness. These data and the high probability of a divergent future evolution of the marbled crayfish and P. fallax clusters suggest that marbled crayfish should be considered as an independent asexual species. Our findings also establish the P. fallax-marbled crayfish pair as a novel paradigm for rare chromosomal speciation by autopolyploidy and parthenogenesis in animals and for saltational evolution in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Vogt
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cassandra Falckenhayn
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Schrimpf
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Katharina Schmid
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina Hanna
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jörn Panteleit
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Forststrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Frank Lyko
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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40
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Arbuthnott D, Crespi BJ, Schwander T. Female Stick Insects Mate Multiply to Find Compatible Mates. Am Nat 2015; 186:519-30. [DOI: 10.1086/682675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Sekiné K, Hayashi F, Tojo K. Unexpected monophyletic origin of Ephoron shigae unisexual reproduction strains and their rapid expansion across Japan. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150072. [PMID: 26543584 PMCID: PMC4632548 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The burrowing polymitarcyid mayfly Ephoron shigae is distributed across Japan, Korea, northeast China and far east Russia. Some populations are bisexual, and others are unisexual, i.e. geographically parthenogenetic throughout Japan. In general, parthenogenetic organisms are often found in harsh environments, such as at high latitudes and altitudes, in xeric as opposed to mesic conditions, in isolated habitats such as islands and island-like areas, and at the peripheral regions of the taxon's range. In E. shigae, however, the distributions of bisexual and unisexual populations overlap broadly in their respective geographical ranges. In the analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI, we revealed that unisexual populations were of monophyletic origin and recently differentiated somewhere in western Japan. In the nuclear DNA EFI-α analysis, parthenogenetic strains had two genotypes, i.e. the heterozygous genotype of E1/E3 and the homozygous genotype of E1/E1 or E3/E3, while specimens of bisexual lineage had 20 genotypes. These results are consistent with an automixis mode of reproduction for the parthenogenetic strains, and also support the monophyletic origin of the parthenogenetic strains. Furthermore, there would be no gene flow between the specimens of the bisexual lineage and those of the parthenogenetic strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Sekiné
- Biological Science in Mountainous Area, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
- Division of Insect Sciences, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 1-2, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - F. Hayashi
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiosawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - K. Tojo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
- Institute of Mountain Science, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
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Montelongo T, Gómez-Zurita J. Nonrandom Patterns of Genetic Admixture Expose the Complex Historical Hybrid Origin of Unisexual Leaf Beetle Species in the GenusCalligrapha. Am Nat 2015; 185:113-34. [DOI: 10.1086/678408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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The persistence of facultative parthenogenesis in Drosophila albomicans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113275. [PMID: 25415200 PMCID: PMC4240631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis has evolved independently in more than 10 Drosophila species. Most cases are tychoparthenogenesis, which is occasional or accidental parthenogenesis in normally bisexual species with a low hatching rate of eggs produced by virgin females; this form is presumed to be an early stage of parthenogenesis. To address how parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction coexist in Drosophila populations, we investigated several reproductive traits, including the fertility, parthenogenetic capability, diploidization mechanisms, and mating propensity of parthenogenetic D. albomicans. The fertility of mated parthenogenetic females was significantly higher than that of virgin females. The mated females could still produce parthenogenetic offspring but predominantly produced offspring by sexual reproduction. Both mated parthenogenetic females and their parthenogenetic-sexual descendants were capable of parthenogenesis. The alleles responsible for parthenogenesis can be propagated through both parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction. As diploidy is restored predominantly by gamete duplication, heterozygosity would be very low in parthenogenetic individuals. Hence, genetic variation in parthenogenetic genomes would result from sexual reproduction. The mating propensity of females after more than 20 years of isolation from males was decreased. If mutations reducing mating propensities could occur under male-limited conditions in natural populations, decreased mating propensity might accelerate tychoparthenogenesis through a positive feedback mechanism. This process provides an opportunity for the evolution of obligate parthenogenesis. Therefore, the persistence of facultative parthenogenesis may be an adaptive reproductive strategy in Drosophila when a few founders colonize a new niche or when small populations are distributed at the edge of a species' range, consistent with models of geographical parthenogenesis.
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Gassner M, Dejaco T, Schönswetter P, Marec F, Arthofer W, Schlick-Steiner BC, Steiner FM. Extensive variation in chromosome number and genome size in sexual and parthenogenetic species of the jumping-bristletail genus Machilis (Archaeognatha). Ecol Evol 2014; 4:4093-105. [PMID: 25505536 PMCID: PMC4242562 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Parthenogenesis in animals is often associated with polyploidy and restriction to extreme habitats or recently deglaciated areas. It has been hypothesized that benefits conferred by asexual reproduction and polyploidy are essential for colonizing these habitats. However, while evolutionary routes to parthenogenesis are manifold, study systems including polyploids are scarce in arthropods. The jumping-bristletail genus Machilis (Insecta: Archaeognatha) includes both sexual and parthenogenetic species, and recently, the occurrence of polyploidy has been postulated. Here, we applied flow cytometry, karyotyping, and mitochondrial DNA sequencing to three sexual and five putatively parthenogenetic Eastern-Alpine Machilis species to investigate whether (1) parthenogenesis originated once or multiply and (2) whether parthenogenesis is strictly associated with polyploidy. The mitochondrial phylogeny revealed that parthenogenesis evolved at least five times independently among Eastern-Alpine representatives of this genus. One parthenogenetic species was exclusively triploid, while a second consisted of both diploid and triploid populations. The three other parthenogenetic species and all sexual species were diploid. Our results thus indicate that polyploidy can co-occur with parthenogenesis, but that it was not mandatory for the emergence of parthenogenesis in Machilis. Overall, we found a weak negative correlation of monoploid genome size (Cx) and chromosome base number (x), and this connection is stronger among parthenogenetic species alone. Likewise, monoploid genome size decreased with elevation, and we therefore hypothesize that genome downsizing could have been crucial for the persistence of alpine Machilis species. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary consequences of intraspecific chromosomal rearrangements and the presence of B chromosomes. In doing so, we highlight the potential of Alpine Machilis species for research on chromosomal and genome-size alterations during speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melitta Gassner
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck Technikerstraße 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Thomas Dejaco
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck Technikerstraße 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Peter Schönswetter
- Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck Sternwartestraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - František Marec
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre ASCR Branisovska 31, Ceské Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck Technikerstraße 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | | | - Florian M Steiner
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck Technikerstraße 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
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Dunning LT, Dennis AB, Sinclair BJ, Newcomb RD, Buckley TR. Divergent transcriptional responses to low temperature among populations of alpine and lowland species of New Zealand stick insects (Micrarchus). Mol Ecol 2014; 23:2712-26. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luke T. Dunning
- Landcare Research; Private Bag 92170 Auckland New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Auckland; Private Bag 92019 Auckland New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution; Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Alice B. Dennis
- Landcare Research; Private Bag 92170 Auckland New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution; Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Brent J. Sinclair
- Department of Biology; The University of Western Ontario; London ON Canada N6G 1L3
| | - Richard D. Newcomb
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Auckland; Private Bag 92019 Auckland New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution; Palmerston North New Zealand
- The New Zealand Institute of Plant & Food Research Limited; Private Bag 92169 Auckland New Zealand
| | - Thomas R. Buckley
- Landcare Research; Private Bag 92170 Auckland New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Auckland; Private Bag 92019 Auckland New Zealand
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution; Palmerston North New Zealand
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Neiman M, Sharbel TF, Schwander T. Genetic causes of transitions from sexual reproduction to asexuality in plants and animals. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1346-59. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Neiman
- Department of Biology; University of Iowa; Iowa City IA USA
| | - T. F. Sharbel
- Apomixis Research Group; Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK); Gatersleben Germany
| | - T. Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
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Schwander T, Arbuthnott D, Gries R, Gries G, Nosil P, Crespi BJ. Hydrocarbon divergence and reproductive isolation in Timema stick insects. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:151. [PMID: 23855797 PMCID: PMC3728149 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals commonly prefer certain trait values over others when choosing their mates. If such preferences diverge between populations, they can generate behavioral reproductive isolation and thereby contribute to speciation. Reproductive isolation in insects often involves chemical communication, and cuticular hydrocarbons, in particular, serve as mate recognition signals in many species. We combined data on female cuticular hydrocarbons, interspecific mating propensity, and phylogenetics to evaluate the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in diversification of Timema walking-sticks. Results Hydrocarbon profiles differed substantially among the nine analyzed species, as well as between partially reproductively-isolated T. cristinae populations adapted to different host plants. In no-choice trials, mating was more likely between species with similar than divergent hydrocarbon profiles, even after correcting for genetic divergences. The macroevolution of hydrocarbon profiles, along a Timema species phylogeny, fits best with a punctuated model of phenotypic change concentrated around speciation events, consistent with change driven by selection during the evolution of reproductive isolation. Conclusion Altogether, our data indicate that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles vary among Timema species and populations, and that most evolutionary change in hydrocarbon profiles occurs in association with speciation events. Similarities in hydrocarbon profiles between species are correlated with interspecific mating propensities, suggesting a role for cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in mate choice and speciation in the genus Timema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Schwander
- Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Schwander T, Crespi BJ, Gries R, Gries G. Neutral and selection-driven decay of sexual traits in asexual stick insects. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130823. [PMID: 23782880 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental shifts and lifestyle changes may result in formerly adaptive traits becoming non-functional or maladaptive. The subsequent decay of such traits highlights the importance of natural selection for adaptations, yet its causes have rarely been investigated. To study the fate of formerly adaptive traits after lifestyle changes, we evaluated sexual traits in five independently derived asexual lineages, including traits that are specific to males and therefore not exposed to selection. At least four of the asexual lineages retained the capacity to produce males that display normal courtship behaviours and are able to fertilize eggs of females from related sexual species. The maintenance of male traits may stem from pleiotropy, or from these traits only regressing via drift, which may require millions of years to generate phenotypic effects. By contrast, we found parallel decay of sexual traits in females. Asexual females produced altered airborne and contact signals, had modified sperm storage organs, and lost the ability to fertilize their eggs, impeding reversals to sexual reproduction. Female sexual traits were decayed even in recently derived asexuals, suggesting that trait changes following the evolution of asexuality, when they occur, proceed rapidly and are driven by selective processes rather than drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Schwander
- Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Chevasco V, Elzinga JA, Galarza JA, Mappes J, Grapputo A. Investigating the Origin of Parthenogenesis and Ploidy Level inDahlica fennicella(Lepidoptera: Psychidae). ANN ZOOL FENN 2013. [DOI: 10.5735/086.050.0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Elzinga JA, Jokela J, Shama LNS. Large variation in mitochondrial DNA of sexual and parthenogenetic Dahlica triquetrella (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) shows multiple origins of parthenogenesis. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:90. [PMID: 23622052 PMCID: PMC3655047 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obligate parthenogenesis is relatively rare in animals. Still, in some groups it is quite common and has evolved and persisted multiple times. These groups may provide important clues to help solve the 'paradox of sex'. Several species in the Psychidae (Lepidoptera) have obligate parthenogenesis. Dahlica triquetrella is one of those species where multiple transitions to parthenogenesis are postulated based on intensive cytological and behavioural studies. This has led to the hypothesis that multiple transitions from sexuals to diploid parthenogens occurred during and after the last glacial period, followed by transitions from parthenogenetic diploids to parthenogenetic tetraploids. Our study is the first to test these hypotheses using a molecular phylogeny based on mtDNA from multiple sexual and parthenogenetic populations from a wide geographic range. RESULTS Parthenogenetic (and sexual) D. triquetrella are not monophyletic, and considerable sequence variation is present suggesting multiple transitions to parthenogenesis. However, we could not establish ancestral sexual haplotypes from our dataset. Our data suggest that some parthenogenetic clades have evolved, indicating origins of parthenogenesis before the last glacial period. CONCLUSIONS Multiple transitions to parthenogenesis have taken place in Dahlica triquetrella, confirming previous hypotheses. The number of different parthenogenetic clades, haplotypes and their apparent evolutionary age, clearly show that parthenogenesis has been a very successful reproductive strategy in this species over a long period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer A Elzinga
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jukka Jokela
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, and ETH-Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Lisa NS Shama
- EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, and ETH-Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Current address: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Hafenstraße 43, D-25992, List/Sylt, Germany
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