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PubMed2006

Overdominant quantitative trait loci for yield and fitness in tomato.

Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is a major genetic force that contributes to world food production. The genetic basis of heterosis is not clear, and the importance of loci with overdominant (ODO) effects is debated. One problem has been the use of whole-genome segregating populations, where interactions often mask the effects of individual loci. To assess the contribution of ODO to heterosis in the absence of epistasis, we carried out quantitative genetic and phenotypic analyses on a population of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) introgression lines (ILs), which carry single marker-defined chromosome segments from the distantly related wild species Solanum pennellii. The ILs revealed 841 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 35 diverse traits measured in the field on homozygous and heterozygous plants. ILs showing greater reproductive fitness were characterized by the prevalence of ODO QTL, which were virtually absent for the nonreproductive traits. ODO can result from true ODO due to allelic interactions of a single gene or from pseudoODO that involves linked loci with dominant alleles in repulsion. The fact that we detected dominant and recessive QTL for all phenotypic categories but ODO only for the reproductive traits indicates that pseudoODO due to random linkage is unlikely to explain heterosis in the ILs. Thus, we favor the true ODO model involving a single functional Mendelian locus. We propose that the alliance of ODO QTL with higher reproductive fitness was selected for in evolution and was domesticated by man to improve yields of crop plants.

Chromosomes, Plant↗

PubMed2006

Genetic basis for natural variation in seed vitamin E levels in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for humans and is obtained primarily from food, especially oil, derived from the seed of plants. Genes encoding the committed steps in vitamin E synthesis in plants (VTE, loci 1-5) have been isolated and used for tocopherol pathway engineering with various degrees of success. As a complement to such approaches we have used quantitative trait loci analysis with two sets of Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred lines and have identified 14 QVE (quantitative vitamin E) loci affecting tocopherol content and composition in seeds. Five QVE intervals contain VTE loci that are likely QVE gene candidates. Nine QVE intervals do not contain VTE loci and therefore identify novel loci affecting seed tocopherol content and composition. Several near-isogenic lines containing introgressions of the accession with increased vitamin E levels were shown to confer significantly elevated tocopherol levels compared with the recurrent parent. Fine-mapping has narrowed QVE7 (a gamma-tocopherol quantitative trait loci) to an 8.5-kb interval encompassing two genes. Understanding the basis of the QVE loci in Arabidopsis promises to provide insight into the regulation and/or metabolism of vitamin E in plants and has clear ramifications for improving the nutritional content of crops through marker-assisted selection and metabolic engineering.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMed2000

The phylogeny of closely related species as revealed by the genealogy of a speciation gene, Odysseus.

Molecular differentiation between races or closely related species is often incongruent with the reproductive divergence of the taxa of interest. Shared ancient polymorphism and/or introgression during secondary contact may be responsible for the incongruence. At loci contributing to speciation, these two complications should be minimized (1, 2); hence, their variation may more faithfully reflect the history of the species' reproductive differentiation. In this study, we analyzed DNA polymorphism at the Odysseus (OdsH) locus of hybrid sterility between Drosophila mauritiana and Drosophila simulans and were able to verify such a prediction. Interestingly, DNA variation only a short distance away (1.8 kb) appears not to be influenced by the forces that shape the recent evolution of the OdsH coding region. This locus thus may represent a test case of inferring phylogeny of very closely related species.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

The evolutionary impact of invasive species.

Since the Age of Exploration began, there has been a drastic breaching of biogeographic barriers that previously had isolated the continental biotas for millions of years. We explore the nature of these recent biotic exchanges and their consequences on evolutionary processes. The direct evidence of evolutionary consequences of the biotic rearrangements is of variable quality, but the results of trajectories are becoming clear as the number of studies increases. There are examples of invasive species altering the evolutionary pathway of native species by competitive exclusion, niche displacement, hybridization, introgression, predation, and ultimately extinction. Invaders themselves evolve in response to their interactions with natives, as well as in response to the new abiotic environment. Flexibility in behavior, and mutualistic interactions, can aid in the success of invaders in their new environment.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

A locus for female discrimination behavior causing sexual isolation in Drosophila.

The genetic basis of sexual isolation that contributes to speciation is one of the unsolved questions in evolutionary biology. Drosophila ananassae and Drosophila pallidosa are closely related, and postmating isolation has not developed between them. However, females of both species discriminate their mating partners, and this discrimination contributes to strong sexual isolation between them. By using surgical treatments, we demonstrate that male courtship songs play a dominant role in female mate discrimination. The absence of the song of D. pallidosa dramatically increased interspecies mating with D. ananassae females but reduced intraspecies mating with D. pallidosa females. Furthermore, genetic analysis and chromosomal introgression by repeated backcrosses to D. pallidosa males identified possible loci that control female discrimination in each species. These loci were mapped on distinct positions near the Delta locus on the middle of the left arm of the second chromosome. Because the mate discrimination we studied is well developed and is the only known mechanism that prevents gene flow between them, these loci may have played crucial roles in the evolution of reproductive isolation, and therefore, in the speciation process between these two species.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Control of seed germination in transgenic plants based on the segregation of a two-component genetic system.

We have developed a repressible seed-lethal (SL) system aimed at reducing the probability of transgene introgression into a population of sexually compatible plants. To evaluate the potential of this method, tobacco plants were transformed with an SL construct comprising gene 1 and gene 2 from Agrobacterium tumefaciens whereby gene 1 was controlled by the seed-specific phaseolin promoter modified to contain a binding site for the Escherichia coli TET repressor (R). The expression of this construct allows normal plant and seed development but inhibits seed germination. Plants containing the SL construct were crossed with plants containing the tet R gene to derive plant lines where the expression of the SL construct is repressed. Plant lines that contained both constructs allowed normal seed formation and germination, whereas seeds in which the SL construct was separated from the R gene through segregation did not germinate. The requirements of such a method to efficiently control the flow of novel traits among sexually compatible plants are discussed.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗

PubMed2000

Gene genealogies reveal global phylogeographic structure and reproductive isolation among lineages of Fusarium graminearum, the fungus causing wheat scab.

During the past decade, the plant disease called scab or Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley has reached epidemic proportions in North America and elsewhere in the world. Scab is an economically devastating plant disease, not only because it causes significant reduction in seed yields and quality, but also because infested seeds are often contaminated with trichothecene and estrogenic mycotoxins that pose a serious threat to animal health and food safety. To test whether the primary etiological agent of scab, the fungus Fusarium graminearum, is panmictic throughout its range, allelic genealogies were constructed from six single-copy nuclear genes from strains selected to represent the global genetic diversity of this pathogen. Excluding one hybrid strain, all six genealogies recovered the same seven biogeographically structured lineages, suggesting that they represent phylogenetically distinct species among which gene flow has been very limited during their evolutionary history. Parsimony analysis of the combined data set comprising 7,120 aligned nucleotide characters resolved most relationships among the seven lineages of the F. graminearum clade and related fusaria included in the study. Phylogenetic evidence is also presented for introgressive hybridization and intragenic recombination among lineages of the F. graminearum clade in nature.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMed2003

Semipermeable species boundaries between Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis: evidence from multilocus DNA sequence variation.

Attempts to reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the Anopheles gambiae cryptic species complex have yielded strongly conflicting results. In particular, An. gambiae, the primary African malaria vector, is variously placed as a sister taxon to either Anopheles arabiensis or Anopheles merus. The recent divergence times for members of this complex complicate phylogenetic analysis, making it difficult to unambiguously implicate interspecific gene flow, versus retained ancestral polymorphism, as the source of conflict. Using sequences at four unlinked loci, which were determined from multiple specimens within each of five species in the complex, we found contrasting patterns of sequence divergence between the X chromosome and the autosomes. The isolation model of speciation assumes a lack of gene flow between species since their separation. This model could not be rejected for An. gambiae and An. arabiensis, although the data fit the model poorly. On the other hand, evidence from gene trees supports genetic introgression of chromosome 2 inversions between An. gambiae and An. arabiensis, and also points to more broad scale genetic exchange of autosomal sequences between this species pair. That such exchange has been relatively recent is suggested not only by the lack of fixed differences at three autosomal loci but also by the sharing of full haplotypes at two of the three loci, which is in contrast to several fixed differences and considerably deeper divergence on the X. The proposed acquisition by An. gambiae of sequences from the more arid-adapted An. arabiensis may have contributed to the spread and ecological dominance of this malaria vector.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Quantitative trait symmetry independent of Hsp90 buffering: distinct modes of genetic canalization and developmental stability.

The Hsp90 chaperone buffers development against a wide range of morphological changes in many organisms and in Drosophila masks the effects of hidden genetic variation. Theory predicts that genetic and nongenetic buffering will share common mechanisms. For example, it is argued that Hsp90 genetic buffering evolved solely as a by-product of environmental buffering, and that Hsp90 should mask morphological deviations from any source. To test this idea, we examined the effect of Hsp90 on purely nongenetic variation in phenotype, measured as differences between the left and right sides of several bilaterally symmetrical bristle and wing traits in individual flies. Consistent with previous reports, Hsp90 buffered the expression of rare morphogenic variants specific to particular genetic backgrounds. However, neither trait-by-trait nor global asymmetry was affected in outbred flies treated with an Hsp90 inhibitor or across a series of inbred genetic backgrounds from a wild population tested in isogenic F1 heterozygotes carrying either (i) a dominant negative Hsp90 allele on a mutant 3rd chromosome or (ii) a null P-insertion mutation, which was introgressed into the control genetic background on all chromosomes. By contrast, Hsp90-regulated trait means and significant effects of sex, temperature, and genetic background on trait symmetry were clearly detected. We conclude that, by maintaining the function of signaling proteins, Hsp90 masks variation affecting target pathways and traits in populations independent of purely nongenetic sources of variation, refuting the idea that a single Hsp90-dependent process generally controls genetic canalization and developmental stability.

Alleles↗

PubMed2002

Wind-dispersed pollen mediates postglacial gene flow among refugia.

A long-term genetic legacy of refugial isolation has been postulated and was demonstrated for maternal refugial lineages for numerous plant and animal species. The lineages were assumed to have remained separated from each other for several glacial periods. The conifer Abies alba Miller, silver fir, is an excellent model to test whether pollen-mediated gene flow may eliminate the genetic imprints of Pleistocene refugial isolation. Two DNA markers with contrasting modes of inheritance were applied to 100 populations covering the entire range of silver fir in Europe. The markers exhibited each two highly conserved alleles based on an insertion/deletion of 80 bp in the fourth intron of the mitochondrial nad5 gene and on a synonymous substitution in the chloroplast psbC gene. The geographical distribution of the maternally inherited mitochondrial variation supported the existence of at least two refugia with two recolonizing maternal lineages remaining largely separated throughout the range. The cline of the nad5 allele frequencies was much steeper than the one of the two psbC alleles. The psbC cline was as wide as the whole range of the species. Our results provide striking evidence that even a species with very long generation times and heavy pollen grains was able to establish a highly efficient pollen-mediated gene flow between refugia. Therefore we postulate that an exchange of genetic information between refugia by range-wide paternal introgression is possible in wind-pollinated plant species.

Abies↗

PubMed2001

Sex-ratio segregation distortion associated with reproductive isolation in Drosophila.

Sex-ratio distortion is the most common form of non-Mendelian segregation observed in natural populations. It may occur even more frequently than direct observations suggest, because the dysgenic population consequences of a biased sex ratio are expected to result in the rapid evolution of suppressors, resulting in suppressed or "cryptic" segregation distortion. Here we report evidence for cryptic sex-ratio distortion that was discovered by introgressing segments of the genome of Drosophila mauritiana into the genome of Drosophila simulans. The autosomal suppressor of sex-ratio distortion, which is also associated with a reduction in hybrid male fertility, has been genetically localized to a region smaller than 80-kb pairs in chromosome 3.

Alleles↗

PubMed1971

Natural Hybridization between the Cholla Cactus Species Opuntia spinosior and Opuntia versicolor.

The sexually reproducing cholla cactus species, Opuntia spinosior and O. versicolor, hybridize naturally in Arizona to produce hybrid swarms and segregating introgressive populations with a high degree of individual variation. The pattern of variation in these hybrid populations can be compared with that in populations derived from crossing of O. spinosior and O. fulgida, where the hybrids reproduce vegetatively rather than by seeds. The latter hybrid combination, in marked contrast to the former, results in clonal colonies with little or no observable individual variation.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1974

Four peroxidase Loci in red-fruited tomato species: genetics and geographic distribution.

The banding patterns of certain anodal peroxidase variants of red-fruited tomato species are governed by alleles at four loci-two alleles per locus. Alleles at three loci code for modified enzyme migration patterns and are codominant in heterozygotes; those at the fourth locus code for presence or absence of a band. No evidence of linkage was detected in preliminary tests between four of the six possible combinations of loci. All variant alleles-i.e., those not represented in the standard genotype of Lycopersicon esculentum-exist in the wild L. pimpinellifolium from coastal Peru; all but Prx-3(n) are also known in L. esculentum from the sympatric region but are rare or absent elsewhere. Between the distributions of alleles of Prx-1 and those of Ge, the gamete-eliminator locus, a significant association exists, which probably does not owe to genetic linkage. The tendency of alleles of Prx loci, as well as those of cm, Ge, h, and Od, to be shared between wild and cultivated taxa in the sympatric region but seldom elsewhere, in addition to published correlated evidence, suggests that the wild alleles tend to substitute in cultivated forms as a result of introgression. In respect to the number of common alleles, cultivated tomatoes more closely resemble the wild L. esculentum var. cerasiforme than L. pimpinellifolium.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1984

Natural interspecies transfer of mitochondrial DNA in amphibians.

mtDNAs of two Central European water frog species, Rana ridibunda and Rana lessonae, were examined by electrophoresis of restriction enzyme fragments. Two types of mtDNA occur in R. ridibunda. One shares with mtDNA of R. lessonae 25.8% of 132 fragments generated by 19 enzymes, corresponding to a nucleotide sequence divergence of 8.1%; the other has diverged from R. lessonae mtDNA by only 0.3%. This latter type is a variant R. lessonae mtDNA that has been transferred into R. ridibunda; the introgression may have occurred via the hybridogenetic hybrid lineages collectively known as Rana esculenta. Of 37 R. ridibunda from Poland, 59% had the typical R. ridibunda mtDNA; 41% had the modified R. lessonae mtDNA as did a single individual from Switzerland (introduced). A single R. ridibunda from Turkey, outside the present range of R. lessonae, had the typical R. ridibunda mtDNA phenotype. Discordancies between inheritance of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes point up the danger of relying on a single molecular feature in reconstructing phylogeny. In addition, studies of mtDNA provide otherwise inaccessible information on complex evolutionary histories of closely related species. A knowledge of these complexities is important to an understanding of phylogenetic relationships and of the genetic processes that underlie the evolution of clonal taxa.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Mitochondrial DNA analysis of hybridization between sympatric white-tailed deer and mule deer in west Texas.

Sympatric populations of white-tailed deer and mule deer (Odocoileus virginianus and Odocoileus hemionus, respectively) on a west Texas ranch share a common mitochondrial DNA restriction map genotype. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that this genotype is more characteristic of O. virginianus than of O. hemionus. The genotype of west Texas deer differs from that of O. virginianus from South Carolina by five mutational events (1.3% sequence divergence), whereas it differs from that of O. hemionus from California by 17 events (5.5% divergence). We suggest that interspecies hybridization has occurred, primarily between mule deer bucks and white-tailed deer does, with preferential absorption of hybrid offspring into the mule deer gene pool. Introgressive hybridization may be involved in ongoing displacement of mule deer by white-tailed deer in west Texas.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Evolution of Drosophila mitochondrial DNA and the history of the melanogaster subgroup.

The nucleotide sequences of a common region of 15 mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) sampled from the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup were determined. The region is 2527 base pairs long, including most of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 genes punctuated by three tRNA genes. The comparative study revealed (i) the extremely low saturation level of transitional differences, (ii) recombination or variable substitution rates even within species, (iii) long persistence times of distinct types of mtDNA in Drosophila simulans and Drosophila mauritiana, and (iv) an apparent lack of within-type variations in island species. Also found was a high correlation among the transitional rate, the saturation level, and the G + C content (or codon usage). It appears that D. simulans and D. mauritiana have maintained highly structured populations for more than 1 million years. Such structures are consistent with the origination of Drosophila sechellia from D. simulans. Yet geographic isolation is so weak as to show no evidence for further speciation. Moreover, one type of mtDNA shared by D. simulans and D. mauritiana suggests either recent divergence or ongoing introgression.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Cytonuclear genetics of experimental fish hybrid zones inside Biosphere 2.

Two species of mosquitofish (family Poeciliidae) known to hybridize in nature were introduced into freshwater habitats inside Biosphere 2, and their population genetics were monitored after 2 years. Within four to six generations, nuclear and cytoplasmic markers characteristic of Gambusia holbrooki had risen greatly in frequency, although some Gambusia affinis alleles and haplotypes were retained primarily in recombinant genotypes, indicative of introgressive hybridization. The temporal cytonuclear dynamics proved similar to population genetic changes observed in replicated experimental hybrid populations outside of Biosphere 2, thus indicating strong directional selection favoring G. holbrooki genotypes across the range of environments monitored. When interpreted in the context of species-specific population demographies observed previously, results suggest that the extremely rapid evolution in these zones of secondary contact is attributable primarily to species differences in life-history traits.

Alleles↗

PubMed1995

Evolution of single and double Wolbachia symbioses during speciation in the Drosophila simulans complex.

Maternally inherited bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are responsible for the early death of embryos in crosses between uninfected females and infected males in several insect species. This phenomenon, known as cytoplasmic incompatibility, also occurs between strains infected by different symbionts in some species, including Drosophila simulans. Wolbachia was found in two species closely related to D. simulans, Drosophila mauritiana, and Drosophila sechellia, and shown to cause incompatibility in the latter species but not in D. mauritiana. Comparison of bacterial and mtDNA history clarifies the origins of bacterial and incompatibility polymorphisms in D. simulans. Infection in D. mauritiana is probably the result of introgression of an infected D. simulans cytoplasm. Some D. simulans and D. sechellia cytoplasmic lineages harbor two bacteria as a consequence of a double infection which probably occurred in a common ancestor. The descendant symbionts in each species are associated with similar incompatibility relationships, which suggests that little variation of incompatibility types has occurred within maternal lineages beyond that related to the density of symbionts in their hosts.

Animals↗