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Krueger-Hadfield SA. Let's talk about sex: Why reproductive systems matter for understanding algae. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2024; 60:581-597. [PMID: 38743848 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Sex is a crucial process that has molecular, genetic, cellular, organismal, and population-level consequences for eukaryotic evolution. Eukaryotic life cycles are composed of alternating haploid and diploid phases but are constrained by the need to accommodate the phenotypes of these different phases. Critical gaps in our understanding of evolutionary drivers of the diversity in algae life cycles include how selection acts to stabilize and change features of the life cycle. Moreover, most eukaryotes are partially clonal, engaging in both sexual and asexual reproduction. Yet, our understanding of the variation in their reproductive systems is largely based on sexual reproduction in animals or angiosperms. The relative balance of sexual versus asexual reproduction not only controls but also is in turn controlled by standing genetic variability, thereby shaping evolutionary trajectories. Thus, we must quantitatively assess the consequences of the variation in life cycles on reproductive systems. Algae are a polyphyletic group spread across many of the major eukaryotic lineages, providing powerful models by which to resolve this knowledge gap. There is, however, an alarming lack of data about the population genetics of most algae and, therefore, the relative frequency of sexual versus asexual processes. For many algae, the occurrence of sexual reproduction is unknown, observations have been lost in overlooked papers, or data on population genetics do not yet exist. This greatly restricts our ability to forecast the consequences of climate change on algal populations inhabiting terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems. This perspective summarizes our extant knowledge and provides some future directions to pursue broadly across micro- and macroalgal species.
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Janko K, Mikulíček P, Hobza R, Schlupp I. Sperm-dependent asexual species and their role in ecology and evolution. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10522. [PMID: 37780083 PMCID: PMC10534198 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is the primary mode of reproduction in eukaryotes, but some organisms have evolved deviations from classical sex and switched to asexuality. These asexual lineages have sometimes been viewed as evolutionary dead ends, but recent research has revealed their importance in many areas of general biology. Our review explores the understudied, yet important mechanisms by which sperm-dependent asexuals that produce non-recombined gametes but rely on their fertilization, can have a significant impact on the evolution of coexisting sexual species and ecosystems. These impacts are concentrated around three major fields. Firstly, sperm-dependent asexuals can potentially impact the gene pool of coexisting sexual species by either restricting their population sizes or by providing bridges for interspecific gene flow whose type and consequences substantially differ from gene flow mechanisms expected under sexual reproduction. Secondly, they may impact on sexuals' diversification rates either directly, by serving as stepping-stones in speciation, or indirectly, by promoting the formation of pre- and postzygotic reproduction barriers among nascent species. Thirdly, they can potentially impact on spatial distribution of species, via direct or indirect (apparent) types of competition and Allee effects. For each such mechanism, we provide empirical examples of how natural sperm-dependent asexuals impact the evolution of their sexual counterparts. In particular, we highlight that these broad effects may last beyond the tenure of the individual asexual lineages causing them, which challenges the traditional perception that asexual lineages are short-lived evolutionary dead ends and minor sideshows. Our review also proposes new research directions to incorporate the aforementioned impacts of sperm-dependent asexuals. These research directions will ultimately enhance our understanding of the evolution of genomes and biological interactions in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Janko
- Laboratory of Non‐Mendelian Evolution, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicLiběchovCzech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of OstravaOstravaCzech Republic
| | - Peter Mikulíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural SciencesComenius University in BratislavaBratislavaSlovakia
| | - Roman Hobza
- Department of Plant Developmental Genetics, Institute of BiophysicsAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OklahomaOklahomaNormanUSA
- Department of BiologyInternational Stock Center for Livebearing FishesOklahomaNormanUSA
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3
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Evolution of yeast hybrids by aborted meiosis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 77:101980. [PMID: 36084497 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Sterile hybrids are broadly considered evolutionary dead-ends because of their faulty sexual reproduction. While sterility in obligate sexual organisms is a clear constraint in perpetuating the species, some facultative sexual microbes such as yeasts can propagate asexually and maintain genome plasticity. Moreover, incomplete meiotic pathways in yeasts represent alternative routes to the standard meiosis that generates genetic combinations in the population and fuel adaptation. Here, we review how aborting meiosis promotes genome-wide allele shuffling in sterile Saccharomyces hybrids and describe approaches to identify evolved clones in a cell population. We further discuss possible implications of this process in generating phenotypic novelty and report cases of abortive meiosis across yeast species.
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Reproduction in Trypanosomatids: Past and Present. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10060471. [PMID: 34071741 PMCID: PMC8230138 DOI: 10.3390/biology10060471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The reproduction of trypanosomatids is a fundamental issue for host–parasite interaction, and its biological importance lies in knowing how these species acquire new defense mechanisms against the countermeasures imposed by the host, which is consistent with the theory of the endless race or the Red Queen hypothesis for the existence of meiotic sex. Moreover, the way these species re-produce may also be at the origin of novel and more virulent clades and is relevant from a thera-peutic or vaccination point of view, as sex may contribute to increased tolerance and even to the rapid acquisition of drug resistance mechanisms. Kinetoplastids are single-celled organisms, many of them being responsible for important parasitic diseases, globally termed neglected diseases, which are endemic in low-income countries. Leishmaniasis, African (sleeping sickness) and American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) caused by trypanosomatids are among the most ne-glected tropical scourges related to poverty and poor health systems. The reproduction of these microorganisms has long been considered to be clonal due to population genetic observations. However, there is increasing evidence of true sex and genetic exchange events under laboratory conditions. We would like to highlight the importance of this topic in the field of host/parasite in-terplay, virulence, and drug resistance. Abstract Diseases caused by trypanosomatids (Sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis) are a serious public health concern in low-income endemic countries. These diseases are produced by single-celled parasites with a diploid genome (although aneuploidy is frequent) organized in pairs of non-condensable chromosomes. To explain the way they reproduce through the analysis of natural populations, the theory of strict clonal propagation of these microorganisms was taken as a rule at the beginning of the studies, since it partially justified their genomic stability. However, numerous experimental works provide evidence of sexual reproduction, thus explaining certain naturally occurring events that link the number of meiosis per mitosis and the frequency of mating. Recent techniques have demonstrated genetic exchange between individuals of the same species under laboratory conditions, as well as the expression of meiosis specific genes. The current debate focuses on the frequency of genomic recombination events and its impact on the natural parasite population structure. This paper reviews the results and techniques used to demonstrate the existence of sex in trypanosomatids, the inheritance of kinetoplast DNA (maxi- and minicircles), the impact of genetic exchange in these parasites, and how it can contribute to the phenotypic diversity of natural populations.
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Eckelbarger KJ, Hodgson AN. Invertebrate oogenesis – a review and synthesis: comparative ovarian morphology, accessory cell function and the origins of yolk precursors. INVERTEBR REPROD DEV 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/07924259.2021.1927861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Eckelbarger
- Darling Marine Center, School of Marine Sciences, The University of Maine, Walpole, Maine, U.S.A
| | - Alan N. Hodgson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Majtánová Z, Dedukh D, Choleva L, Adams M, Ráb P, Unmack PJ, Ezaz T. Uniparental Genome Elimination in Australian Carp Gudgeons. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6137838. [PMID: 33591327 PMCID: PMC8245195 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Metazoans usually reproduce sexually, blending the unique identity of parental genomes for the next generation through functional crossing-over and recombination in meiosis. However, some metazoan lineages have evolved reproductive systems where offspring are either full (clonal) or partial (hemiclonal) genetic replicas. In the latter group, the process of uniparental genome elimination selectively eliminates either the maternal or paternal genome from germ cells, and only one parental genome is selected for transmission. Although fairly common in plants, hybridogenesis (i.e., clonal haploidization via chromosome elimination) remains a poorly understood process in animals. Here, we explore the proximal cytogenomic mechanisms of somatic and germ cell chromosomes in sexual and hybrid genotypes of Australian carp gudgeons (Hypseleotris) by tracing the fate of each set during mitosis (in somatic tissues) and meiosis (in gonads). Our comparative study of diploid hybrid and sexual individuals revealed visually functional gonads in male and female hybrid genotypes and generally high karyotype variability, although the number of chromosome arms remains constant. Our results delivered direct evidence for classic hybridogenesis as a reproductive mode in carp gudgeons. Two parental sets with integral structure in the hybrid soma (the F1 constitution) contrasted with uniparental chromosomal inheritance detected in gonads. The inheritance mode happens through premeiotic genome duplication of the parental genome to be transmitted, whereas the second parental genome is likely gradually eliminated already in juvenile individuals. The role of metacentric chromosomes in hybrid evolution is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Majtánová
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Dmitrij Dedukh
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Choleva
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic.,Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Mark Adams
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Petr Ráb
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Peter J Unmack
- Centre for Applied Water Science, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genetics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Parthenogenesis as a Solution to Hybrid Sterility: The Mechanistic Basis of Meiotic Distortions in Clonal and Sterile Hybrids. Genetics 2020; 215:975-987. [PMID: 32518062 PMCID: PMC7404241 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid sterility is a hallmark of speciation, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report that speciation may regularly proceed through a stage at which gene flow is completely interrupted, but hybrid sterility occurs only in male hybrids whereas female hybrids reproduce asexually. We analyzed gametogenic pathways in hybrids between the fish species Cobitis elongatoides and C. taenia, and revealed that male hybrids were sterile owing to extensive asynapsis and crossover reduction among heterospecific chromosomal pairs in their gametes, which was subsequently followed by apoptosis. We found that polyploidization allowed pairing between homologous chromosomes and therefore partially rescued the bivalent formation and crossover rates in triploid hybrid males. However, it was not sufficient to overcome sterility. In contrast, both diploid and triploid hybrid females exhibited premeiotic genome endoreplication, thereby ensuring proper bivalent formation between identical chromosomal copies. This endoreplication ultimately restored female fertility but it simultaneously resulted in the obligate production of clonal gametes, preventing any interspecific gene flow. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the emergence of asexuality can remedy hybrid sterility in a sex-specific manner and contributes to the speciation process.
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Ota S, Oshima K, Yamazaki T, Takeshita T, Bišová K, Zachleder V, Hattori M, Kawano S. The Parachlorella Genome and Transcriptome Endorse Active RWP-RK, Meiosis and Flagellar Genes in Trebouxiophycean Algae. CYTOLOGIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1508/cytologia.84.323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Ota
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST/START
| | - Kenshiro Oshima
- Laboratory of Metagenomics, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Center for Omics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
| | - Tomokazu Yamazaki
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST/START
| | - Tsuyoshi Takeshita
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST/START
- Future Center Initiative, The University of Tokyo
| | - Kateřina Bišová
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae
| | - Vilém Zachleder
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Algatech, Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae
| | - Masahira Hattori
- Center for Omics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University
| | - Shigeyuki Kawano
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST/START
- Future Center Initiative, The University of Tokyo
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Ram Y, Hadany L. Evolution of Stress-Induced Mutagenesis in the Presence of Horizontal Gene Transfer. Am Nat 2019; 194:73-89. [PMID: 31251650 DOI: 10.1086/703457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced mutagenesis has been observed in multiple species of bacteria and yeast. It has been suggested that in asexual populations, a mutator allele that increases the mutation rate during stress can sweep to fixation with the beneficial mutations it generates. However, even asexual microbes can undergo horizontal gene transfer and rare recombination, which typically interfere with the spread of mutator alleles. Here we examine the effect of horizontal gene transfer on the evolutionary advantage of stress-induced mutator alleles. Our results demonstrate that stress-induced mutator alleles are favored by selection even in the presence of horizontal gene transfer and more so when the mutator alleles also increase the rate of horizontal gene transfer. We suggest that when regulated by stress, mutation and horizontal gene transfer can be complementary rather than competing adaptive strategies and that stress-induced mutagenesis has important implications for evolutionary biology, ecology, and epidemiology, even in the presence of horizontal gene transfer and rare recombination.
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Alves CL, Repolês BM, da Silva MS, Mendes IC, Marin PA, Aguiar PHN, Santos SDS, Franco GR, Macedo AM, Pena SDJ, Andrade LDO, Guarneri AA, Tahara EB, Elias MC, Machado CR. The recombinase Rad51 plays a key role in events of genetic exchange in Trypanosoma cruzi. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13335. [PMID: 30190603 PMCID: PMC6127316 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Detection of genetic exchange has been a limiting factor to deepen the knowledge on the mechanisms by which Trypanosoma cruzi is able to generate progeny and genetic diversity. Here we show that incorporation of halogenated thymidine analogues, followed by immunostaining, is a reliable method not only to detect T. cruzi fused-cell hybrids, but also to quantify their percentage in populations of this parasite. Through this approach, we were able to detect and quantify fused-cell hybrids of T. cruzi clones CL Brener and Y. Given the increased detection of fused-cell hybrids in naturally-occurring hybrid CL Brener strain, which displays increased levels of RAD51 and BRCA2 transcripts, we further investigated the role of Rad51 - a recombinase involved in homologous recombination - in the process of genetic exchange. We also verified that the detection of fused-cell hybrids in T. cruzi overexpressing RAD51 is increased when compared to wild-type cells, suggesting a key role for Rad51 either in the formation or in the stabilization of fused-cell hybrids in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceres Luciana Alves
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Bruno Marçal Repolês
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Santos da Silva
- Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabela Cecília Mendes
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Paula Andrea Marin
- Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Selma da Silva Santos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Glória Regina Franco
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Andréa Mara Macedo
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Danilo Junho Pena
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | | | - Erich Birelli Tahara
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos Renato Machado
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Caplin N, Willey N. Ionizing Radiation, Higher Plants, and Radioprotection: From Acute High Doses to Chronic Low Doses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:847. [PMID: 29997637 PMCID: PMC6028737 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of ionizing radiation (IR) on plants is important for environmental protection, for agriculture and horticulture, and for space science but plants have significant biological differences to the animals from which much relevant knowledge is derived. The effects of IR on plants are understood best at acute high doses because there have been; (a) controlled experiments in the field using point sources, (b) field studies in the immediate aftermath of nuclear accidents, and (c) controlled laboratory experiments. A compilation of studies of the effects of IR on plants reveals that although there are numerous field studies of the effects of chronic low doses on plants, there are few controlled experiments that used chronic low doses. Using the Bradford-Hill criteria widely used in epidemiological studies we suggest that a new phase of chronic low-level radiation research on plants is desirable if its effects are to be properly elucidated. We emphasize the plant biological contexts that should direct such research. We review previously reported effects from the molecular to community level and, using a plant stress biology context, discuss a variety of acute high- and chronic low-dose data against Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs) used for environmental protection. We suggest that chronic low-level IR can sometimes have effects at the molecular and cytogenetic level at DCRL dose rates (and perhaps below) but that there are unlikely to be environmentally significant effects at higher levels of biological organization. We conclude that, although current data meets only some of the Bradford-Hill criteria, current DCRLs for plants are very likely to be appropriate at biological scales relevant to environmental protection (and for which they were intended) but that research designed with an appropriate biological context and with more of the Bradford-Hill criteria in mind would strengthen this assertion. We note that the effects of IR have been investigated on only a small proportion of plant species and that research with a wider range of species might improve not only the understanding of the biological effects of radiation but also that of the response of plants to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil Willey
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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12
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Muraille E. Diversity Generator Mechanisms Are Essential Components of Biological Systems: The Two Queen Hypothesis. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:223. [PMID: 29487592 PMCID: PMC5816788 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Diversity is widely known to fuel adaptation and evolutionary processes and increase robustness at the population, species and ecosystem levels. The Neo-Darwinian paradigm proposes that the diversity of biological entities is the consequence of genetic changes arising spontaneously and randomly, without regard for their usefulness. However, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that the evolutionary process has shaped mechanisms, such as horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, meiosis and the adaptive immune system, which has resulted in the regulated generation of diversity among populations. Though their origins are unrelated, these diversity generator (DG) mechanisms share common functional properties. They (i) contribute to the great unpredictability of the composition and/or behavior of biological systems, (ii) favor robustness and collectivism among populations and (iii) operate mainly by manipulating the systems that control the interaction of living beings with their environment. The definition proposed here for DGs is based on these properties and can be used to identify them according to function. Interestingly, prokaryotic DGs appear to be mainly reactive, as they generate diversity in response to environmental stress. They are involved in the widely described Red Queen/arms race/Cairnsian dynamic. The emergence of multicellular organisms harboring K selection traits (longer reproductive life cycle and smaller population size) has led to the acquisition of a new class of DGs that act anticipatively to stress pressures and generate a distinct dynamic called the “White Queen” here. The existence of DGs leads to the view of evolution as a more “intelligent” and Lamarckian-like process. Their repeated selection during evolution could be a neglected example of convergent evolution and suggests that some parts of the evolutionary process are tightly constrained by ecological factors, such as the population size, the generation time and the intensity of selective pressure. The ubiquity of DGs also suggests that regulated auto-generation of diversity is a fundamental property of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Muraille
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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13
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Bull L. The Evolution of Sex through the Baldwin Effect. ARTIFICIAL LIFE 2017; 23:481-492. [PMID: 28985114 DOI: 10.1162/artl_a_00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This article suggests that the fundamental haploid-diploid cycle of eukaryotic sex exploits a rudimentary form of the Baldwin effect. With this explanation for the basic cycle, the other associated phenomena can be explained as evolution tuning the amount and frequency of learning experienced by an organism. Using the well-known NK model of fitness landscapes, it is shown that varying landscape ruggedness varies the benefit of the haploid-diploid cycle, whether based upon endomitosis or syngamy. The utility of pre-meiotic doubling and recombination during the cycle are also shown to vary with landscape ruggedness. This view is suggested as underpinning, rather than contradicting, many existing explanations for sex.
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14
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Gratia JP. Genetic recombinational events in prokaryotes and their viruses: insight into the study of evolution and biodiversity. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 110:1493-1514. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0916-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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15
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Moore ER, Bullington BS, Weisberg AJ, Jiang Y, Chang J, Halsey KH. Morphological and transcriptomic evidence for ammonium induction of sexual reproduction in Thalassiosira pseudonana and other centric diatoms. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181098. [PMID: 28686696 PMCID: PMC5501676 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive strategy of diatoms includes asexual and sexual phases, but in many species, including the model centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, sexual reproduction has never been observed. Furthermore, the environmental factors that trigger sexual reproduction in diatoms are not understood. Although genome sequences of a few diatoms are available, little is known about the molecular basis for sexual reproduction. Here we show that ammonium reliably induces the key sexual morphologies, including oogonia, auxospores, and spermatogonia, in two strains of T. pseudonana, T. weissflogii, and Cyclotella cryptica. RNA sequencing revealed 1,274 genes whose expression patterns changed when T. pseudonana was induced into sexual reproduction by ammonium. Some of the induced genes are linked to meiosis or encode flagellar structures of heterokont and cryptophyte algae. The identification of ammonium as an environmental trigger suggests an unexpected link between diatom bloom dynamics and strategies for enhancing population genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Briana S. Bullington
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Alexandra J. Weisberg
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jeff Chang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Kimberly H. Halsey
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Rougeron V, De Meeûs T, Bañuls AL. Reproduction in Leishmania: A focus on genetic exchange. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2017; 50:128-132. [PMID: 27769896 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One key process of the life cycle of pathogens is their mode of reproduction. Indeed, this fundamental biological process conditions the multiplication and the transmission of genes and thus the propagation of diseases in the environment. Reproductive strategies of protozoan parasites have been a subject of debate for many years, principally due to the difficulty in making direct observations of sexual reproduction (i.e. genetic recombination). Traditionally, these parasites were considered as characterized by a preeminent clonal structure. Nevertheless, with the development of elaborate culture experiments, population genetics and evolutionary and population genomics, several studies suggested that most of these pathogens were also characterized by constitutive genetic recombination events. In this opinion, we focused on Leishmania parasites, pathogens responsible of leishmaniases, a major public health issue. We first discuss the evolutionary advantages of a mixed mating reproductive strategy, then we review the evidence of genetic exchange, and finally we detail available tools to detect naturally occurring genetic recombination in Leishmania parasites and more generally in protozoan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Rougeron
- MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), UMR CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - T De Meeûs
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 177 INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, TA A-17/G, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - A-L Bañuls
- MIVEGEC (Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), UMR CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Tworzydlo W, Marek M, Kisiel E, Bilinski SM. Meiosis, Balbiani body and early asymmetry of Thermobia oocyte. PROTOPLASMA 2017; 254:649-655. [PMID: 27180195 PMCID: PMC5309285 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-016-0978-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The meiotic division guarantees maintenance of a genetic diversity; it consists of several stages, with prophase I being the longest and the most complex. We decided to follow the course of initial stages of meiotic division in ovaries of Thermobia domestica using modified techniques of squash preparations, semithin sections, and electron microscopy. We show that germaria contain numerous germline cells that can be classified into three categories: cystoblasts, meiotic oocytes, and growing previtellogenic oocytes. The cystoblasts are located most apically. The meiotic oocytes occupy the middle part of the germarium, and the previtellogenic oocytes can be found in the most basal part, near the vitellarium. Analyses of the semithin sections and squash preparations show that post leptotene meiotic chromosomes gather in one region of the nucleoplasm where they form the so-called bouquet. The telomeres of the bouquet chromosomes are attached to a relatively small area (segment) of the nuclear envelope. Next to this envelope segment, the nucleolar organizers are also located. We show that in concert to sequential changes inside the oocyte nuclei, rearrangement of organelles within the ooplasm (oocyte cytoplasm) takes place. This leads to the formation of the Balbiani body and consequent asymmetry of the ooplasm. These early nuclear and cytoplasmic asymmetries, however, are transient. During diplotene, the chromosome bouquet disappears, while the Balbiani body gradually disperses throughout the ooplasm. Finally, our observations indicate the presence of lampbrush chromosomes in the nuclei of previtellogenic oocytes. In the close vicinity to lampbrush chromosomes, characteristic spherical nuclear bodies are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waclaw Tworzydlo
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Marek
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Kisiel
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Szczepan M Bilinski
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Hannon AF, Sunday DF, Windover D, Kline RJ. Advancing X-ray scattering metrology using inverse genetic algorithms. JOURNAL OF MICRO/NANOLITHOGRAPHY, MEMS, AND MOEMS : JM3 2016; 15:034001. [PMID: 27551326 PMCID: PMC4990789 DOI: 10.1117/1.jmm.15.3.034001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We compare the speed and effectiveness of two genetic optimization algorithms to the results of statistical sampling via a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to find which is the most robust method for determining real space structure in periodic gratings measured using critical dimension small angle X-ray scattering. Both a covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy and differential evolution algorithm are implemented and compared using various objective functions. The algorithms and objective functions are used to minimize differences between diffraction simulations and measured diffraction data. These simulations are parameterized with an electron density model known to roughly correspond to the real space structure of our nanogratings. The study shows that for X-ray scattering data, the covariance matrix adaptation coupled with a mean-absolute error log objective function is the most efficient combination of algorithm and goodness of fit criterion for finding structures with little foreknowledge about the underlying fine scale structure features of the nanograting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam F. Hannon
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - Daniel F. Sunday
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - Donald Windover
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - R. Joseph Kline
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
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Mori T, Kawai-Toyooka H, Igawa T, Nozaki H. Gamete Dialogs in Green Lineages. MOLECULAR PLANT 2015; 8:1442-54. [PMID: 26145252 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Gamete fusion is a core process of sexual reproduction and, in both plants and animals, different sex gametes fuse within species. Although most of the molecular factors involved in gamete interaction are still unknown in various sex-possessing eukaryotes, reports of such factors in algae and land plants have been increasing in the past decade. In particular, knowledge of gamete interaction in flowering plants and green algae has increased since the identification of the conserved gamete fusion factor generative cell specific 1/hapless 2 (GCS1/HAP2). GCS1 was first identified as a pollen generative cell-specific transmembrane protein in the lily (Lilium longiflorum), and was then shown to function not only in flowering plant gamete fusion but also in various eukaryotes, including unicellular protists and metazoans. In addition, although initially restricted to Chlamydomonas, knowledge of gamete attachment in flowering plants was also acquired. This review focuses on recent progress in the study of gamete interaction in volvocine green algae and flowering plants and discusses conserved mechanisms of gamete recognition, attachment, and fusion leading to zygote formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Mori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Hiroko Kawai-Toyooka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tomoko Igawa
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo, Chiba 271-8510, Japan
| | - Hisayoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Walen KH. Neoplastic-Like CELL Changes of Normal Fibroblast Cells Associated with Evolutionary Conserved Maternal and Paternal Genomic Autonomous Behavior (Gonomery). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.4236/jct.2014.59094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abstract
Sex is one of the greatest puzzles in evolutionary biology. A true meiotic process occurs only in eukaryotes, while in bacteria, gene transcription is fragmentary, so asexual reproduction in this case really means clonal reproduction. Sex could stem from a signal that leads to increased reproductive output of all interacting individuals and could be understood as a secondary consequence of primitive metabolic reactions. Meiotic sex evolved in proto-eukaryotes to solve a problem that bacteria did not have, namely a large amount of DNA material, occurring in an archaic step of proto-cell formation and genetic exchanges. Rather than providing selective advantages through reproduction, sex could be thought of as a series of separate events which combines step-by-step some very weak benefits of recombination, meiosis, gametogenesis and syngamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Lodé
- Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes, France.
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