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Lohr JN, Haag CR. Parasite-driven replacement of a sexual by a closely related asexual taxon in nature. Ecology 2020; 101:e03105. [PMID: 32452541 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Asexual species are thought to suffer more from coevolving parasites than related sexuals. Yet a variety of studies do not find the patterns predicted by theory. Here, to shine light on this conundrum, we investigate one such case of an asexual advantage in the presence of parasites. We follow the frequency dynamics of sexual and asexual Daphnia pulex in a natural pond that was initially dominated by sexuals. Coinciding with an epidemic of a microsporidian parasite infecting both sexuals and asexuals, the pond was rapidly taken over by the initially rare asexuals. With experiments comparing multiple sexual and asexual clones from across the local metapopulation, we confirm that asexuals are less susceptible and also suffer less from the parasite once infected. These results are consistent with the parasite-driven, ecological replacement of dominant sexuals by closely related, but more resistant asexuals, ultimately leading to the extinction of the formerly superior sexual competitor. Our study is one of the clearest examples from nature, backed up by experimental verification, showing a parasite-mediated reversal of competition dynamics. The experiments show that, across the metapopulation, asexuals have an advantage in the presence of parasites. In this metapopulation, asexuals are relatively rare, likely due to their recent invasion. While we cannot rule out other reasons for the observed patterns, the results are consistent with a temporary parasite-mediated advantage of asexuals due to the fact that they are rare, which is an underappreciated aspect of the Red Queen Hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Lohr
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900, Hanko, Finland.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph R Haag
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900, Hanko, Finland.,CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, 1919, route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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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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Neiman M, Meirmans PG, Schwander T, Meirmans S. Sex in the wild: How and why field-based studies contribute to solving the problem of sex. Evolution 2018; 72:1194-1203. [PMID: 29645091 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Why and how sexual reproduction is maintained in natural populations, the so-called "queen of problems," is a key unanswered question in evolutionary biology. Recent efforts to solve the problem of sex have often emphasized results generated from laboratory settings. Here, we use a survey of representative "sex in the wild" literature to review and synthesize the outcomes of empirical studies focused on natural populations. Especially notable results included relatively strong support for mechanisms involving niche differentiation and a near absence of attention to adaptive evolution. Support for a major role of parasites is largely confined to a single study system, and only three systems contribute most of the support for mutation accumulation hypotheses. This evidence for taxon specificity suggests that outcomes of particular studies should not be more broadly extrapolated without extreme caution. We conclude by suggesting steps forward, highlighting tests of niche differentiation mechanisms in both laboratory and nature, and empirical evaluation of adaptive evolution-focused hypotheses in the wild. We also emphasize the value of leveraging the growing body of genomic resources for nonmodel taxa to address whether the clearance of harmful mutations and spread of beneficial variants in natural populations proceeds as expected under various hypotheses for sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurine Neiman
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Patrick G Meirmans
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Meirmans
- Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Becks L, Alavi Y. Using Microevolution to Explain the Macroevolutionary Observations for the Evolution of Sex. INTERDISCIPLINARY EVOLUTION RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-15045-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Elzinga JA, Mappes J, Kaila L. Pre- and post-mating reproductive barriers drive divergence of five sympatric species of Naryciinae moths (Lepidoptera: Psychidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer A. Elzinga
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science; University of Jyväskylä; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science; Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions; University of Jyväskylä; PO Box 35 FI-40014 Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Lauri Kaila
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; Zoology Unit; University of Helsinki; P.O. Box 17 FI-00014 Helsinki Finland
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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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