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Bretman A, Fricke C, Baur J, Berger D, Breedveld MC, Dierick D, Canal Domenech B, Drobniak SM, Ellers J, English S, Gasparini C, Iossa G, Lagisz M, Nakagawa S, Noble DWA, Pottier P, Ramm SA, Rowe M, Schultner E, Schou M, Simões P, Stockley P, Vasudeva R, Weaving H, Price TAR, Snook RR. Systematic approaches to assessing high-temperature limits to fertility in animals. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:471-485. [PMID: 38350467 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Critical thermal limits (CTLs) gauge the physiological impact of temperature on survival or critical biological function, aiding predictions of species range shifts and climatic resilience. Two recent Drosophila species studies, using similar approaches to determine temperatures that induce sterility (thermal fertility limits [TFLs]), reveal that TFLs are often lower than CTLs and that TFLs better predict both current species distributions and extinction probability. Moreover, many studies show fertility is more sensitive at less extreme temperatures than survival (thermal sensitivity of fertility [TSF]). These results present a more pessimistic outlook on the consequences of climate change. However, unlike CTLs, TFL data are limited to Drosophila, and variability in TSF methods poses challenges in predicting species responses to increasing temperature. To address these data and methodological gaps, we propose 3 standardized approaches for assessing thermal impacts on fertility. We focus on adult obligate sexual terrestrial invertebrates but also provide modifications for other animal groups and life-history stages. We first outline a "gold-standard" protocol for determining TFLs, focussing on the effects of short-term heat shocks and simulating more frequent extreme heat events predicted by climate models. As this approach may be difficult to apply to some organisms, we then provide a standardized TSF protocol. Finally, we provide a framework to quantify fertility loss in response to extreme heat events in nature, given the limitations in laboratory approaches. Applying these standardized approaches across many taxa, similar to CTLs, will allow robust tests of the impact of fertility loss on species responses to increasing temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Fricke
- Institute for Zoology, Halle-Wittenberg University, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Julian Baur
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - David Berger
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Diego Dierick
- La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, San Pedro Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Berta Canal Domenech
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Graziella Iossa
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Patrice Pottier
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Steven A Ramm
- UMR 6553 Ecobio - Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Melissah Rowe
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Schultner
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mads Schou
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Pedro Simões
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution Group, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Neston, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hester Weaving
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Tom A R Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Fisher AM, Knell RJ, Price TAR, Bonsall MB. Sex ratio distorting microbes exacerbate arthropod extinction risk in variable environments. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11216. [PMID: 38571791 PMCID: PMC10985368 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternally-inherited sex ratio distorting microbes (SRDMs) are common among arthropod species. Typically, these microbes cause female-biased sex ratios in host broods, either by; killing male offspring, feminising male offspring, or inducing parthenogenesis. As a result, infected populations can experience drastic ecological and evolutionary change. The mechanism by which SRDMs operate is likely to alter their impact on host evolutionary ecology; despite this, the current literature is heavily biased towards a single mechanism of sex ratio distortion, male-killing. Furthermore, amidst the growing concerns surrounding the loss of arthropod diversity, research into the impact of SRDMs on the viability of arthropod populations is generally lacking. In this study, using a theoretical approach, we model the epidemiology of an understudied mechanism of microbially-induced sex ratio distortion-feminisation-to ask an understudied question-how do SRDMs impact extinction risk in a changing environment? We constructed an individual-based model and measured host population extinction risk under various environmental and epidemiological scenarios. We also used our model to identify the precise mechanism modulating extinction. We find that the presence of feminisers increases host population extinction risk, an effect that is exacerbated in highly variable environments. We also identified transmission rate as the dominant epidemiological trait responsible for driving extinction. Finally, our model shows that sex ratio skew is the mechanism driving extinction. We highlight feminisers and, more broadly, SRDMs as important determinants of the resilience of arthropod populations to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- School of Biological and Behavioural SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Tom A. R. Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and BehaviourUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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3
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Lyth S, Betancourt AJ, Price TAR, Verspoor RL. The suppression of a selfish genetic element increases a male's mating success in a fly. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10719. [PMID: 37964789 PMCID: PMC10641306 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
X chromosome meiotic drive (XCMD) kills Y-bearing sperm during spermatogenesis, leading to the biased transmission of the selfish X chromosome. Despite this strong transmission, some natural XCMD systems remain at low and stable frequencies, rather than rapidly spreading through populations. The reason may be that male carriers can have reduced fitness, as they lose half of their sperm, only produce daughters, and may carry deleterious alleles associated with XCMD. Thus, females may benefit from avoiding mating with male carriers, yielding a further reduction in fitness. Genetic suppressors of XCMD, which block the killing of Y sperm and restore fair Mendelian inheritance, are also common and could prevent the spread of XCMD. However, whether suppressed males are as fit as a wild-type male remains an open question, as the effect that genetic suppressors may have on a male's mating success is rarely considered. Here, we investigate the mating ability of XCMD males and suppressed XCMD males in comparison to wild-type males in the fruit fly Drosophila subobscura, where drive remains at a stable frequency of 20% in wild populations where it occurs. We use both competitive and non-competitive mating trials to evaluate male mating success in this system. We found no evidence that unsuppressed XCMD males were discriminated against. Remarkably, however, their suppressed XCMD counterparts had a higher male mating success compared to wild-type controls. Unsuppressed XCMD males suffered 12% lower offspring production in comparison to wild-type males. This cost appears too weak to counter the transmission advantage of XCMD, and thus the factors preventing the spread of XCMD remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lyth
- Institute of InfectionVeterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrea J. Betancourt
- Institute of InfectionVeterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of InfectionVeterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Rudi L. Verspoor
- Institute of InfectionVeterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Institute of SystemsMolecular, and Integrative Biology, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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Mak KW, Price TAR, Dougherty LR. The effect of short-term exposure to high temperatures on male courtship behaviour and mating success in the fruit fly Drosophila virilis. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103701. [PMID: 37683356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced climate change is leading to higher average global temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events. High temperatures can have obvious effects on animal survival, particularly in ectotherms. However, the temperature at which organisms become sterile may be significantly lower than the temperature at which other biological functions are impaired. In the fruit fly Drosophila virilis, males are sterilized at temperatures above 34 °C, but are still active and able to mate normally. We investigated the male behavioural changes associated with high-temperature fertility loss. We exposed males to a warming treatment of 34.4 °C or 36.6 °C for 4 h, and then recorded their mating behaviour after being allowed to recover for 24 h. Previous work in this species suggests that males exposed to 34.4 °C lose the ability to produce new sperm, but can utilize mature sperm produced before the heat shock. We therefore predicted that these males would increases their courtship rate, and reduce their choosiness, in order to try to ensure a mating before their remaining mature sperm die. In contrast, over two-thirds of males exposed to 36.6 °C are completely sterile. In standard mating trials, earlier exposure to 34.4 °C or 36.6 °C did not affect male courtship behaviour when compared to control males kept at 23 °C. Exposure to high temperatures also did not alter the extent to which males directed courtship toward females of the same species. However, males exposed to 36.6 °C were significantly slower to mate, and had a reduced likelihood of mating, when compared to control males. Overall, exposure to high temperatures did not alter male courtship behaviour, but did lower their likelihood of mating. This suggests that females can distinguish between normal and heat-sterilized males before mating, and that female mate choice may at least partly mitigate the population-level consequences of high-temperature induced male sterility in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Wai Mak
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK
| | - Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7RB, UK.
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Paulouskaya O, Romero-Soriano V, Ramirez-Lanzas C, Price TAR, Betancourt AJ. Levels of P-element-induced hybrid dysgenesis in Drosophila simulans are uncorrelated with levels of P-element piRNAs. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkac324. [PMID: 36478025 PMCID: PMC9911080 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites that proliferate within host genomes, and which can also invade new species. The P-element, a DNA-based TE, recently invaded two Drosophila species: Drosophila melanogaster in the 20th century, and D. simulans in the 21st. In both species, lines collected before the invasion are susceptible to "hybrid dysgenesis", a syndrome of abnormal phenotypes apparently due to P-element-inflicted DNA damage. In D. melanogaster, lines collected after the invasion have evolved a maternally acting mechanism that suppresses hybrid dysgenesis, with extensive work showing that PIWI-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) are a key factor in this suppression. Most of these studies use lines collected many generations after the initial P-element invasion. Here, we study D. simulans collected early, as well as late in the P-element invasion of this species. Like D. melanogaster, D. simulans from late in the invasion show strong resistance to hybrid dysgenesis and abundant P-element-derived piRNAs. Lines collected early in the invasion, however, show substantial variation in how much they suffer from hybrid dysgenesis, with some lines highly resistant. Surprisingly, although, these resistant lines do not show high levels of cognate maternal P-element piRNAs; in these lines, it may be that other mechanisms suppress hybrid dysgenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Paulouskaya
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, PO Box 9505, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Valèria Romero-Soriano
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Tom A R Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrea J Betancourt
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB Liverpool, UK
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6
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Fisher AM, Knell RJ, Price TAR, Bonsall MB. The impact of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the epidemiology of male‐killing bacteria. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary Univ. of London London UK
| | - Robert J. Knell
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary Univ. of London London UK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Dept of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Univ. of Liverpool Liverpool UK
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7
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Mannion NLM, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. Plastic responses of survival and fertility following heat stress in pupal and adult Drosophila virilis. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18238-18247. [PMID: 35003670 PMCID: PMC8717264 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of rising global temperatures on survival and reproduction is putting many species at risk of extinction. In particular, it has recently been shown that thermal effects on reproduction, especially limits to male fertility, can underpin species distributions in insects. However, the physiological factors influencing fertility at high temperatures are poorly understood. Key factors that affect somatic thermal tolerance such as hardening, the ability to phenotypically increase thermal tolerance after a mild heat shock, and the differential impact of temperature on different life stages are largely unexplored for thermal fertility tolerance. Here, we examine the impact of high temperatures on male fertility in the cosmopolitan fruit fly Drosophila virilis. We first determined whether temperature stress at either the pupal or adult life history stage impacts fertility. We then tested the capacity for heat-hardening to mitigate heat-induced sterility. We found that thermal stress reduces fertility in different ways in pupae and adults. Pupal heat stress delays sexual maturity, whereas males heated as adults can reproduce initially following heat stress, but become sterile within seven days. We also found evidence that while heat-hardening in D. virilis can improve high temperature survival, there is no significant protective impact of this same hardening treatment on fertility. These results suggest that males may be unable to prevent the costs of high temperature stress on fertility through heat-hardening, which limits a species' ability to quickly and effectively reduce fertility loss in the face of short-term high temperature events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amanda Bretman
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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8
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Walsh BS, Mannion NLM, Price TAR, Parratt SR. Sex-specific sterility caused by extreme temperatures is likely to create cryptic changes to the operational sex ratio in Drosophila virilis. Curr Zool 2021; 67:341-343. [PMID: 34616928 PMCID: PMC8489007 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Natasha L M Mannion
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
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9
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Fisher AM, Le Page S, Manser A, Lewis DR, Holwell GI, Wigby S, Price TAR. Relatedness modulates density‐dependent cannibalism rates in
Drosophila. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Sally Le Page
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Andri Manser
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Daniel R. Lewis
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - Gregory I. Holwell
- School of Biological Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
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10
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Abstract
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are diverse and near ubiquitous in Eukaryotes and can be potent drivers of evolution. Here, we discuss SGEs that specifically act on sperm to gain a transmission advantage to the next generation. The diverse SGEs that affect sperm often impose costs on carrier males, including damaging ejaculates, skewing offspring sex ratios and in particular reducing sperm-competitive success of SGE-carrying males. How males and females tolerate and mitigate against these costs is a dynamic and expanding area of research. The intense intra-genomic conflict that these selfish elements generate could also have implications for male fertility and spermatogenesis more widely. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudi L. Verspoor
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Nina Wedell
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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11
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Wagner I, Koch NI, Sarsby J, White N, Price TAR, Jones S, Hurst JL, Beynon RJ. The application of rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry in the analysis of Drosophila species-a potential new tool in entomology. Open Biol 2020; 10:200196. [PMID: 33234068 PMCID: PMC7729031 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing emphasis on the use of new analytical approaches in subject analysis and classification, particularly in respect to minimal sample preparation. Here, we demonstrate that rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS), a method that captures metabolite mass spectra after rapid combustive degradation of an intact biological specimen, generates informative mass spectra from several arthropods, and more specifically, is capable of discerning differences between species and sex of several adult Drosophila species. A model including five Drosophila species, built using pattern recognition, achieves high correct classification rates (over 90%) using test datasets and is able to resolve closely related species. The ease of discrimination of male and female specimens also demonstrates that sex-specific differences reside in the REIMS metabolite patterns, whether analysed across all five species or specifically for D. melanogaster. Further, the same approach can correctly discriminate and assign Drosophila species at the larval stage, where these are morphologically highly similar or identical. REIMS offers a novel approach to insect typing and analysis, requiring a few seconds of data acquisition per sample and has considerable potential as a new tool for the field biologist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Wagner
- Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Natalie I. Koch
- Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Joscelyn Sarsby
- Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Nicola White
- Ecology and Evolution Group, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Ecology and Evolution Group, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Sam Jones
- International Pheromone Systems Ltd, Unit 8, West Float Industrial Estate, Millbrook Road, Wallasey, Wirral CH41 1FL, UK
| | - Jane L. Hurst
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Robert J. Beynon
- Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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12
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Price TAR, Windbichler N, Unckless RL, Sutter A, Runge JN, Ross PA, Pomiankowski A, Nuckolls NL, Montchamp-Moreau C, Mideo N, Martin OY, Manser A, Legros M, Larracuente AM, Holman L, Godwin J, Gemmell N, Courret C, Buchman A, Barrett LG, Lindholm AK. Resistance to natural and synthetic gene drive systems. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1345-1360. [PMID: 32969551 PMCID: PMC7796552 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Scientists are rapidly developing synthetic gene drive elements intended for release into natural populations. These are intended to control or eradicate disease vectors and pests, or to spread useful traits through wild populations for disease control or conservation purposes. However, a crucial problem for gene drives is the evolution of resistance against them, preventing their spread. Understanding the mechanisms by which populations might evolve resistance is essential for engineering effective gene drive systems. This review summarizes our current knowledge of drive resistance in both natural and synthetic gene drives. We explore how insights from naturally occurring and synthetic drive systems can be integrated to improve the design of gene drives, better predict the outcome of releases and understand genomic conflict in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A. R. Price
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Nikolai Windbichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Andreas Sutter
- School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Jan-Niklas Runge
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Perran A. Ross
- Bio21 and the School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Pomiankowski
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Catherine Montchamp-Moreau
- Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - Oliver Y. Martin
- Department of Biology (D-BIOL) & Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ), ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andri Manser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Matthieu Legros
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | | | - Luke Holman
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - John Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Neil Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Cécile Courret
- Evolution Génome Comportement et Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Anna Buchman
- University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
- Verily Life Sciences, 269 E Grand Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Luke G. Barrett
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Anna K. Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Fisher AM, Cornell SJ, Holwell GI, Price TAR. Mate‐finding Allee effects can be exacerbated or relieved by sexual cannibalism. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1581-1592. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | | | | | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
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Heys C, Lizé A, Lewis Z, Price TAR. Drosophila Sexual Attractiveness in Older Males Is Mediated by Their Microbiota. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E168. [PMID: 31991698 PMCID: PMC7074797 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Age is well known to be a basis for female preference of males. However, the mechanisms underlying age-based choices are not well understood, with several competing theories and little consensus. The idea that the microbiota can affect host mate choice is gaining traction, and in this study we examine whether the male microbiota influences female preference for older individuals in the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura. We find that an intact microbiota is a key component of attractiveness in older males. However, we found no evidence that this decrease in older male attractiveness was simply due to impaired microbiota generally reducing male quality. Instead, we suggest that the microbiota underlies an honest signal used by females to assess male age, and that impaired microbiota disrupt this signal. This suggests that age-based preferences may break down in environments where the microbiota is impaired, for example when individuals are exposed to naturally occurring antibiotics, extreme temperatures, or in animals reared in laboratories on antibiotic supplemented diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Heys
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; (C.H.); (A.L.); (T.A.R.P.)
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Anne Lizé
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; (C.H.); (A.L.); (T.A.R.P.)
- UMR CNRS 6553, University of Rennes 1, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes, France
| | - Zenobia Lewis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; (C.H.); (A.L.); (T.A.R.P.)
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15
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Manser A, Cornell SJ, Sutter A, Blondel DV, Serr M, Godwin J, Price TAR. Controlling invasive rodents via synthetic gene drive and the role of polyandry. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190852. [PMID: 31431159 PMCID: PMC6732378 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
House mice are a major ecosystem pest, particularly threatening island ecosystems as a non-native invasive species. Rapid advances in synthetic biology offer new avenues to control pest species for biodiversity conservation. Recently, a synthetic sperm-killing gene drive construct called t-Sry has been proposed as a means to eradicate target mouse populations owing to a lack of females. A factor that has received little attention in the discussion surrounding such drive applications is polyandry. Previous research has demonstrated that sperm-killing drivers are extremely damaging to a male's sperm competitive ability. Here, we examine the importance of this effect on the t-Sry system using a theoretical model. We find that polyandry substantially hampers the spread of t-Sry such that release efforts have to be increased three- to sixfold for successful eradication. We discuss the implications of our finding for potential pest control programmes, the risk of drive spread beyond the target population, and the emergence of drive resistance. Our work highlights that a solid understanding of the forces that determine drive dynamics in a natural setting is key for successful drive application, and that exploring the natural diversity of gene drives may inform effective gene drive design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andri Manser
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephen J. Cornell
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andreas Sutter
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Dimitri V. Blondel
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA
| | - Megan Serr
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA
| | - John Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Sutter A, Travers LM, Oku K, L. Delaney K, J. Store S, Price TAR, Wedell N. Flexible polyandry in female flies is an adaptive response to infertile males. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Infertility is common in nature despite its obvious cost to individual fitness. Rising global temperatures are predicted to decrease fertility, and male sterility is frequently used in attempts to regulate pest or disease vector populations. When males are infertile, females may mate with multiple males to ensure fertilization, and changes in female mating behavior in turn could intensify selection on male fertility. Fertility assurance is a potentially wide-spread explanation for polyandry, but whether and how it actually contributes to the evolution of polyandry is not clear. Moreover, whether a drop in male fertility would lead to a genetic increase in polyandry depends on whether females respond genetically or through behavioral plasticity to male infertility. Here, we experimentally manipulate male fertility through heat-exposure in Drosophila pseudoobscura, and test female discrimination against infertile males before and after mating. Using isogenic lines, we compare the roles of behaviorally plastic versus genetically fixed polyandry. We find that heat-exposed males are less active and attractive, and that females are more likely to remate after mating with these males. Remating rate increases with reduced reproductive output, indicating that females use current sperm storage threshold to make dynamic remating decisions. After remating with fertile males, females restore normal fecundity levels. Our results suggest that male infertility could explain the evolution of adaptively flexible polyandry, but is less likely to cause an increase in genetic polyandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sutter
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, and
| | - Laura M Travers
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, and
| | - Keiko Oku
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Kynan L. Delaney
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Stefan J. Store
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nina Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Atkinson D, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. Integrated Approaches to Studying Male and Female Thermal Fertility Limits. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:492-493. [PMID: 30979525 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - David Atkinson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Hoffmann AA, Atkinson D, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. The Impact of Climate Change on Fertility. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:249-259. [PMID: 30635138 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Rising global temperatures are threatening biodiversity. Studies on the impact of temperature on natural populations usually use lethal or viability thresholds, termed the 'critical thermal limit' (CTL). However, this overlooks important sublethal impacts of temperature that could affect species' persistence. Here we discuss a critical but overlooked trait: fertility, which can deteriorate at temperatures less severe than an organism's lethal limit. We argue that studies examining the ecological and evolutionary impacts of climate change should consider the 'thermal fertility limit' (TFL) of species; we propose that a framework for the design of TFL studies across taxa be developed. Given the importance of fertility for population persistence, understanding how climate change affects TFLs is vital for the assessment of future biodiversity impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Authors contributed equally
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Authors contributed equally
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - David Atkinson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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Fisher AM, Cornell SJ, Holwell GI, Price TAR. Sexual cannibalism and population viability. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6663-6670. [PMID: 30038765 PMCID: PMC6053559 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Some behaviours that typically increase fitness at the individual level may reduce population persistence, particularly in the face of environmental changes. Sexual cannibalism is an extreme mating behaviour which typically involves a male being devoured by the female immediately before, during or after copulation, and is widespread amongst predatory invertebrates. Although the individual-level effects of sexual cannibalism are reasonably well understood, very little is known about the population-level effects. We constructed both a mathematical model and an individual-based model to predict how sexual cannibalism might affect population growth rate and extinction risk. We found that in the absence of any cannibalism-derived fecundity benefit, sexual cannibalism is always detrimental to population growth rate and leads to a higher population extinction risk. Increasing the fecundity benefits of sexual cannibalism leads to a consistently higher population growth rate and likely a lower extinction risk. However, even if cannibalism-derived fecundity benefits are large, very high rates of sexual cannibalism (>70%) can still drive the population to negative growth and potential extinction. Pre-copulatory cannibalism was particularly damaging for population growth rates and was the main predictor of growth declining below the replacement rate. Surprisingly, post-copulatory cannibalism had a largely positive effect on population growth rate when fecundity benefits were present. This study is the first to formally estimate the population-level effects of sexual cannibalism. We highlight the detrimental effect sexual cannibalism may have on population viability if (1) cannibalism rates become high, and/or (2) cannibalism-derived fecundity benefits become low. Decreased food availability could plausibly both increase the frequency of cannibalism, and reduce the fecundity benefit of cannibalism, suggesting that sexual cannibalism may increase the risk of population collapse in the face of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Fisher
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | | | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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20
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Verspoor RL, Smith JML, Mannion NLM, Hurst GDD, Price TAR. Strong hybrid male incompatibilities impede the spread of a selfish chromosome between populations of a fly. Evol Lett 2018; 2:169-179. [PMID: 30283674 PMCID: PMC6121854 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotically driving sex chromosomes manipulate gametogenesis to increase their transmission at a cost to the rest of the genome. The intragenomic conflicts they produce have major impacts on the ecology and evolution of their host species. However, their ecological dynamics remain poorly understood. Simple population genetic models predict meiotic drivers will rapidly reach fixation in populations and spread across landscapes. In contrast, natural populations commonly show spatial variation in the frequency of drivers, with drive present in clines or mosaics across species ranges. For example, Drosophila subobscura harbors a sex ratio distorting drive chromosome (SRs) at 15-25% frequency in North Africa, present at less than 2% frequency in adjacent southern Spain, and absent in other European populations. Here, we investigate the forces preventing the spread of the driver northward. We show that SRs has remained at a constant frequency in North Africa, and failed to spread in Spain. We find strong evidence that spread is impeded by genetic incompatibility between SRs and Spanish autosomal backgrounds. When we cross SRs from North Africa onto Spanish genetic backgrounds we observe strong incompatibilities specific to hybrids bearing SRs. The incompatibilities increase in severity in F2 male hybrids, leading to almost complete infertility. We find no evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis, that there is resistance to drive in Spanish populations. We conclude that the source of the stepped frequency variation is genetic incompatibility between the SRs chromosome and the genetic backgrounds of the adjacent population, preventing SRs spreading northward. The low frequency of SRs in South Spain is consistent with recurrent gene flow across the Strait of Gibraltar combined with selection against the SRs element through genetic incompatibility. This demonstrates that incompatibilities between drive chromosomes and naïve populations can prevent the spread of drive between populations, at a continental scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudi L. Verspoor
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolL69 7ZBUnited Kingdom
| | - Jack M. L. Smith
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolL69 7ZBUnited Kingdom
| | - Natasha L. M. Mannion
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolL69 7ZBUnited Kingdom
| | - Gregory D. D. Hurst
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolL69 7ZBUnited Kingdom
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolL69 7ZBUnited Kingdom
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21
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Taylor ML, Price TAR, Skeats A, Wedell N. Temperature can shape a cline in polyandry, but only genetic variation can sustain it over time. Behav Ecol 2016; 27:462-469. [PMID: 27004012 PMCID: PMC4797379 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a widespread behavior occurring in diverse taxa, species, and populations. Polyandry can also vary widely within species, and individual populations, so that both monandrous and polyandrous females occur together. Genetic differences can explain some of this intraspecific variation in polyandry, but environmental factors are also likely to play a role. One environmental factor that influences many fundamental biological processes is temperature. Higher temperatures have been shown to directly increase remating in laboratory studies of insects. In the longer term, high temperature could also help to drive the evolution of larger-scale patterns of behavior by changing the context-dependent balance of costs and benefits of polyandry across environments. We examined the relative influence of rearing and mating temperatures on female remating in populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura that show a latitudinal cline in polyandry in nature, using a range of ecologically relevant temperatures. We found that females of all genotypes remated more at cooler temperatures, which fits with the observation of higher average frequencies of polyandry at higher latitudes in this species. However, the impact of temperature was outweighed by the strong genetic control of remating in females in this species. It is likely that genetic factors provide the primary explanation for the latitudinal cline in polyandry in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Taylor
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK and
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute for Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Alison Skeats
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK and
| | - Nina Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK and
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Giraldo-Perez P, Herrera P, Campbell A, Taylor ML, Skeats A, Aggio R, Wedell N, Price TAR. Winter is coming: hibernation reverses the outcome of sperm competition in a fly. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:371-9. [PMID: 26565889 PMCID: PMC4784169 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Sperm commonly compete within females to fertilize ova, but research has focused on short‐term sperm storage: sperm that are maintained in a female for only a few days or weeks before use. In nature, females of many species store sperm for months or years, often during periods of environmental stress, such as cold winters. Here we examine the outcome of sperm competition in the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura, simulating the conditions in which females survive winter. We mated females to two males and then stored the female for up to 120 days at 4°C. We found that the outcome of sperm competition was consistent when sperm from two males was stored for 0, 1 or 30 days, with the last male to mate fathering most of the offspring. However, when females were stored in the cold for 120 days, the last male to mate fathered less than 5% of the offspring. Moreover, when sperm were stored long term the first male fathered almost all offspring even when he carried a meiotic driving sex chromosome that drastically reduces sperm competitive success under short‐term storage conditions. This suggests that long‐term sperm storage can radically alter the outcome of sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Giraldo-Perez
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - P Herrera
- Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Campbell
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - M L Taylor
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - A Skeats
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - R Aggio
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - N Wedell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | - T A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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23
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Maguire CP, Lizé A, Price TAR. Assessment of rival males through the use of multiple sensory cues in the fruitfly Drosophila pseudoobscura. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123058. [PMID: 25849643 PMCID: PMC4388644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Environments vary stochastically, and animals need to behave in ways that best fit the conditions in which they find themselves. The social environment is particularly variable, and responding appropriately to it can be vital for an animal's success. However, cues of social environment are not always reliable, and animals may need to balance accuracy against the risk of failing to respond if local conditions or interfering signals prevent them detecting a cue. Recent work has shown that many male Drosophila fruit flies respond to the presence of rival males, and that these responses increase their success in acquiring mates and fathering offspring. In Drosophila melanogaster males detect rivals using auditory, tactile and olfactory cues. However, males fail to respond to rivals if any two of these senses are not functioning: a single cue is not enough to produce a response. Here we examined cue use in the detection of rival males in a distantly related Drosophila species, D. pseudoobscura, where auditory, olfactory, tactile and visual cues were manipulated to assess the importance of each sensory cue singly and in combination. In contrast to D. melanogaster, male D. pseudoobscura require intact olfactory and tactile cues to respond to rivals. Visual cues were not important for detecting rival D. pseudoobscura, while results on auditory cues appeared puzzling. This difference in cue use in two species in the same genus suggests that cue use is evolutionarily labile, and may evolve in response to ecological or life history differences between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris P. Maguire
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Lizé
- UMR 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Taylor ML, Skeats A, Wilson AJ, Price TAR, Wedell N. Opposite environmental and genetic influences on body size in North American Drosophila pseudoobscura. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:51. [PMID: 25887658 PMCID: PMC4374297 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0323-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Populations of a species often differ in key traits. However, it is rarely known whether these differences are associated with genetic variation and evolved differences between populations, or are instead simply a plastic response to environmental differences experienced by the populations. Here we examine the interplay of plasticity and direct genetic control by investigating temperature-size relationships in populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura from North America. We used 27 isolines from three populations and exposed them to four temperature regimes (16°C, 20°C, 23°C, 26°C) to examine environmental, genetic and genotype-by-environment sources of variance in wing size. Results By far the largest contribution to variation in wing size came from rearing temperature, with the largest flies emerging from the coolest temperatures. However, we also found a genetic signature that was counter to this pattern as flies originating from the northern, cooler population were consistently smaller than conspecifics from more southern, warmer populations when reared under the same laboratory conditions. Conclusions We conclude that local selection on body size appears to be acting counter to the environmental effect of temperature. We find no evidence that local adaptation in phenotypic plasticity can explain this result, and suggest indirect selection on traits closely linked with body size, or patterns of chromosome inversion may instead be driving this relationship. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0323-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Taylor
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Alison Skeats
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
| | - Nina Wedell
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
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Herrera P, Taylor ML, Skeats A, Price TAR, Wedell N. Can patterns of chromosome inversions in Drosophila pseudoobscura predict polyandry across a geographical cline? Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3072-81. [PMID: 25247064 PMCID: PMC4161180 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Female multiple mating, known as polyandry, is ubiquitous and occurs in a wide variety of taxa. Polyandry varies greatly from species in which females mate with one or two males in their lifetime to species in which females may mate with several different males on the same day. As multiple mating by females is associated with costs, numerous hypotheses attempt to explain this phenomenon. One hypothesis not extensively explored is the possibility that polyandrous behavior is captured and "fixed" in populations via genetic processes that preserve the behavior independently of any adaptive benefit of polyandry. Here, we use female isolines derived from populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura from three locations in North America to examine whether different female remating levels are associated with patterns of chromosome inversions, which may explain patterns of polyandry across the geographic range. Populations differed with respect to the frequency of polyandry and the presence of inversion polymorphisms on the third chromosome. The population with the lowest level of female remating was the only one that was entirely comprised of homokaryotypic lines, but the small number of populations prevented us investigating this relationship further at a population level. However, we found no strong relationship between female remating levels and specific karyotypes of the various isolines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Herrera
- Biosciences, University of ExeterCornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Michelle L Taylor
- Biosciences, University of ExeterCornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Alison Skeats
- Biosciences, University of ExeterCornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Nina Wedell
- Biosciences, University of ExeterCornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
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Price TAR, Bretman A, Gradilla AC, Reger J, Taylor ML, Giraldo-Perez P, Campbell A, Hurst GDD, Wedell N. Does polyandry control population sex ratio via regulation of a selfish gene? Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133259. [PMID: 24695427 PMCID: PMC3996604 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent of female multiple mating (polyandry) can strongly impact on the intensity of sexual selection, sexual conflict, and the evolution of cooperation and sociality. More subtly, polyandry may protect populations against intragenomic conflicts that result from the invasion of deleterious selfish genetic elements (SGEs). SGEs commonly impair sperm production, and so are likely to be unsuccessful in sperm competition, potentially reducing their transmission in polyandrous populations. Here, we test this prediction in nature. We demonstrate a heritable latitudinal cline in the degree of polyandry in the fruitfly Drosophila pseudoobscura across the USA, with northern population females remating more frequently in both the field and the laboratory. High remating was associated with low frequency of a sex-ratio-distorting meiotic driver in natural populations. In the laboratory, polyandry directly controls the frequency of the driver by undermining its transmission. Hence we suggest that the cline in polyandry represents an important contributor to the cline in sex ratio in nature. Furthermore, as the meiotic driver causes sex ratio bias, variation in polyandry may ultimately determine population sex ratio across the USA, a dramatic impact of female mating decisions. As SGEs are ubiquitous it is likely that the reduction of intragenomic conflict by polyandry is widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, , Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK, School of Biology, University of Leeds, , Leeds LS2 9JT, UK, Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, , Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, , Sheffield S10 2TN, UK, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, , Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The rate of female remating can have important impacts on a species, from affecting conflict and cooperation within families, to population viability and gene flow. However, determining the level of polyandry in a species can be difficult, with information on the mating system of many species being based on a single experiment, or completely absent. Here we investigate the mating system of the fruit fly Drosophila subobscura. Reports from England, Spain and Canada suggest D. subobscura is entirely monandrous, with no females remating. However, work in Greece suggests that 23% of females remate. We examine the willingness of female D. subobscura to remate in the laboratory in a range of conditions, using flies from both Greece and England. We make a distinction between pseudopolyandry, where a female remates after an ineffective first mating that is incapable of fertilising her eggs, and true polyandry, where a female remates even though she has received suitable sperm from a previous mating. RESULTS We find a low rate of true polyandry by females (4%), with no difference between populations. The rate of true polyandry is affected by temperature, but not starvation. Pseudopolyandry is three times as common as true polyandry, and most females showing pseudopolyandry mated at their first opportunity after their first failed mating. However, despite the lack of differences in polyandry between the populations, we do find differences in the way males respond to exposure to other males prior to mating. In line with previous work, English flies responded to one or more rivals by increasing their copulation duration, a response previously thought to be driven by sperm competition. Greek males only show increased copulation duration when exposed to four or more rival males. This suggests that the response to rivals in D. subobscura is not related to sperm competition, because sperm competition is rare, and there is no correlation of response to rivals and mating system across the populations. CONCLUSIONS These results illustrate the difficulties in determining the mating system of a species, even one that is well known and an excellent laboratory species, with results being highly dependent on the conditions used to assay the behaviour, and the population used.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N Fisher
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Rowan J Doff
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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Price TAR, Lizé A, Marcello M, Bretman A. Experience of mating rivals causes males to modulate sperm transfer in the fly Drosophila pseudoobscura. J Insect Physiol 2012; 58:1669-1675. [PMID: 23085556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Male responses to risk of sperm competition play an important role in sexual selection, sexual conflict, and the evolution of mating systems. Such responses can combine behavioural and physiological processes, and can be mediated through different components of the ejaculate such as sperm numbers and seminal proteins. An additional level of ejaculate complexity is sperm heteromorphism, with the inclusion of non-fertilising parasperm in the ejaculate. We now test the response to rivals in a sperm heteromorphic species, Drosophila pseudoobscura, measuring the behavioural response and sperm transfer and, crucially, relating these to short-term fitness. Males respond to exposure to conspecific rivals by increasing mating duration, but do not respond to heterospecific rivals. In addition, after exposure to a conspecific rival, males increased the transfer of fertilising eusperm, but not non-fertilising parasperm. Males exposed to a conspecific rival also achieve higher offspring production. This suggests that the evolution of parasperm in flies was not driven by sperm competition and adds to the increasing evidence that males can make extremely sophisticated responses to mating competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, UK
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30
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Abstract
Females of most animal species are polyandrous, with individual females usually mating with more than one male. However, the ubiquity of polyandry remains enigmatic because of the potentially high costs to females of multiple mating. Current theory to account for the high prevalence of polyandry largely focuses on its benefits to individual females. There are also higher-level explanations for the high incidence of polyandry-polyandrous clades may speciate more rapidly. Here we test the hypothesis that polyandry may also reduce population extinction risk. We demonstrate that mating with multiple males protects populations of the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura against extinction caused by a "selfish" sex-ratio-distorting element. Thus, the frequency of female multiple mating in nature may be associated not only with individual benefits to females of this behavior but also with increased persistence over time of polyandrous species and populations. Furthermore, we show that female remating behavior can determine the frequency of sex-ratio distorters in populations. This may also be true for many other selfish genetic elements in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
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Price TAR, Lewis Z, Smith DT, Hurst GDD, Wedell N. Sex ratio drive promotes sexual conflict and sexual coevolution in the fly Drosophila pseudoobscura. Evolution 2009; 64:1504-9. [PMID: 19922445 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00896.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Selfish genetic elements occur in all living organisms and often cause reduced fertility and sperm competitive ability in males. In the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura, the presence of a sex-ratio distorting X-chromosome meiotic driver Sex Ratio (SR) has been shown to promote the evolution of increased female remating rates in laboratory populations. This is favored because it promotes sperm competition, which decreases the risk to females of producing highly female-biased broods and to their offspring of inheriting the selfish gene. Here, we show that non-SR males in these SR populations evolved an increased ability to suppress female remating in response to the higher female remating rates, indicating male-female coevolution. This occurred even though SR was rare in the populations. This was further supported by a correlation between females' remating propensity and males' ability to suppress female remating across populations. Thus SR can generate sexual conflict over female remating rate between females and the noncarrier males that make up the majority of the males, promoting evolution of increased ability of males to suppress female remating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Copulating males usually insert their penis into the female and ejaculate in her reproductive tract; but in some species, males are more invasive, puncturing the female body-wall and inseminating directly into her body-cavity. A spider has just been added to this list and new perspectives provided on why males harm females during copulation in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Hosken
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Bioscience, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Tremough, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK.
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33
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Abstract
It is unknown why females mate with multiple males when mating is frequently costly and a single copulation often provides enough sperm to fertilize all a female's eggs. One possibility is that remating increases the fitness of offspring, because fertilization success is biased toward the sperm of high-fitness males. We show that female Drosophila pseudoobscura evolved increased remating rates when exposed to the risk of mating with males carrying a deleterious sex ratio-distorting gene that also reduces sperm competitive ability. Because selfish genetic elements that reduce sperm competitive ability are generally associated with low genetic fitness, they may represent a common driver of the evolution of polyandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
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Abstract
Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are ubiquitous in animals and often associated with low male fertility due to reduced sperm number in male carriers. In the fruit fly Drosophila pseudoobscura, the meiotic driving X chromosome "sex ratio" kills Y-bearing sperm in carrier males (SR males), resulting in female only broods. We competed SR males against the ejaculates of noncarrying standard males (ST males), and quantified the number of sperm transferred by SR and ST males to females. We show that SR males are very poor sperm competitors, which is partly related to transfer of fewer sperm during mating. However, sperm numbers alone cannot explain the observed paternity reduction, indicating SR males' sperm may be of reduced quality, possibly due to damage during the killing of the noncarrying Y-sperm. The reduction in sperm competitive ability due to SR is large enough to potentially stabilize the spread of sex ratio drive through populations. The poor sperm competitive ability of SR males coupled with their low fitness as mates could favor increased remating by females to reduce paternity by SR males. Given the generally poor performance of SGE-carrying males in sperm competition, this may generate strong selective pressure favoring polyandry in many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK.
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Price TAR, Wedell N. Selfish genetic elements and sexual selection: their impact on male fertility. Genetica 2008; 134:99-111. [PMID: 18327647 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-008-9253-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2007] [Accepted: 06/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Females of many species mate with more than one male (polyandry), yet the adaptive significance of polyandry is poorly understood. One hypothesis to explain the widespread occurrence of multiple mating is that it may allow females to utilize post-copulatory mechanisms to reduce the risk of fertilizing their eggs with sperm from incompatible males. Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes, frequent sources of reproductive incompatibilities, and associated with fitness costs. However, their impact on sexual selection is largely unexplored. In this review we examine the link between SGEs, male fertility and sperm competitive ability. We show there is widespread evidence that SGEs are associated with reduced fertility in both animals and plants, and present some recent data showing that males carrying SGEs have reduced paternity in sperm competition. We also discuss possible reasons why male gametes are particularly vulnerable to the selfish actions of SGEs. The widespread reduction in male fertility caused by SGEs implies polyandry may be a successful female strategy to bias paternity against SGE-carrying males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK.
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36
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Abstract
Females of many species mate with more than one male (polyandry), yet the adaptive significance of polyandry is poorly understood. One hypothesis to explain the widespread occurrence of multiple mating is that it may allow females to utilize post-copulatory mechanisms to reduce the risk of fertilizing their eggs with sperm from incompatible males. Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes, frequent sources of reproductive incompatibilities, and associated with fitness costs. However, their impact on sexual selection is largely unexplored. In this review we examine the link between SGEs, male fertility and sperm competitive ability. We show there is widespread evidence that SGEs are associated with reduced fertility in both animals and plants, and present some recent data showing that males carrying SGEs have reduced paternity in sperm competition. We also discuss possible reasons why male gametes are particularly vulnerable to the selfish actions of SGEs. The widespread reduction in male fertility caused by SGEs implies polyandry may be a successful female strategy to bias paternity against SGE-carrying males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A R Price
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK.
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37
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Abstract
Manipulation of Drosophila melanogaster genomes allows large numbers of genes to be transmitted solely through males, thereby allowing selection to optimize flies for male function alone. It seems biasing phenotypes toward the male optima has serious fitness costs for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A R Price
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, UK
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