scholarly journals Nuclear transport genes recurrently duplicate by means of RNA intermediates in Drosophila but not in other insects

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayda Mirsalehi ◽  
Dragomira N. Markova ◽  
Mohammadmehdi Eslamieh ◽  
Esther Betrán
Keyword(s):  
Gene Evolution ◽  
Nuclear Transport ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Drive Systems ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
Phylogenomic Study ◽  
Dipteran Species

Abstract Background The nuclear transport machinery is involved in a well-known male meiotic drive system in Drosophila. Fast gene evolution and gene duplications have been major underlying mechanisms in the evolution of meiotic drive systems, and this might include some nuclear transport genes in Drosophila. So, using a comprehensive, detailed phylogenomic study, we examined 51 insect genomes for the duplication of the same nuclear transport genes. Results We find that most of the nuclear transport duplications in Drosophila are of a few classes of nuclear transport genes, RNA mediated and fast evolving. We also retrieve many pseudogenes for the Ran gene. Some of the duplicates are relatively young and likely contributing to the turnover expected for genes under strong but changing selective pressures. These duplications are potentially revealing what features of nuclear transport are under selection. Unlike in flies, we find only a few duplications when we study the Drosophila duplicated nuclear transport genes in dipteran species outside of Drosophila, and none in other insects. Conclusions These findings strengthen the hypothesis that nuclear transport gene duplicates in Drosophila evolve either as drivers or suppressors of meiotic drive systems or as other male-specific adaptations circumscribed to flies and involving a handful of nuclear transport functions.

scholarly journals Meiotic drive mechanisms: lessons from Drosophila

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1913) ◽  
pp. 20191430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Courret ◽  
Ching-Ho Chang ◽  
Kevin H.-C. Wei ◽  
Catherine Montchamp-Moreau ◽  
Amanda M. Larracuente
Keyword(s):  
Small Rna ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Selfish Genetic Elements ◽  
Genetic Origins ◽  
Drive Systems ◽  
Rna Pathways

Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that bias their transmission into gametes, often to the detriment of the rest of the genome. The resulting intragenomic conflicts triggered by meiotic drive create evolutionary arms races and shape genome evolution. The phenomenon of meiotic drive is widespread across taxa but is particularly prominent in the Drosophila genus. Recent studies in Drosophila have provided insights into the genetic origins of drivers and their molecular mechanisms. Here, we review the current literature on mechanisms of drive with an emphasis on sperm killers in Drosophila species. In these systems, meiotic drivers often evolve from gene duplications and targets are generally linked to heterochromatin. While dense in repetitive elements and difficult to study using traditional genetic and genomic approaches, recent work in Drosophila has made progress on the heterochromatic compartment of the genome. Although we still understand little about precise drive mechanisms, studies of male drive systems are converging on common themes such as heterochromatin regulation, small RNA pathways, and nuclear transport pathways. Meiotic drive systems are therefore promising models for discovering fundamental features of gametogenesis.

scholarly journals Killer meiotic drive and dynamic evolution of the wtf gene family

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Eickbush ◽  
Janet M. Young ◽  
Sarah E. Zanders
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Gene Evolution ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Recombination Mechanism ◽  
Evolutionary Force ◽  
Drive Systems ◽  
Dna Sequence Repeats ◽  
Diploid Organism

AbstractNatural selection works best when the two alleles in a diploid organism are transmitted to offspring at equal frequencies. Despite this, selfish loci known as meiotic drivers that bias their own transmission into gametes are found throughout eukaryotes. Drive is thought to be a powerful evolutionary force, but empirical evolutionary analyses of drive systems are limited by low numbers of identified meiotic drive genes. Here, we analyze the evolution of the wtf gene family of Schizosaccharomyces pombe that contains both killer meiotic drive genes and suppressors of drive. We completed assemblies of all wtf genes for two S. pombe strains, as well as a subset of wtf genes from over 50 strains. We find that wtf copy number can vary greatly between strains, and that amino acid substitutions, expansions and contractions of DNA sequence repeats, and nonallelic gene conversion between family members all contribute to dynamic wtf gene evolution. This work demonstrates the power of meiotic drive to foster rapid evolution and identifies a recombination mechanism through which transposons can indirectly mobilize meiotic drivers.

scholarly journals Unravelling the mystery of female meiotic drive: where we are

Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 210074
Author(s):  
Frances E. Clark ◽  
Takashi Akera
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Genetic Element ◽  
Female Meiosis ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Selfish Genetic Element ◽  
Mendelian Expectation ◽  
Drive Systems ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Female meiotic drive is the phenomenon where a selfish genetic element alters chromosome segregation during female meiosis to segregate to the egg and transmit to the next generation more frequently than Mendelian expectation. While several examples of female meiotic drive have been known for many decades, a molecular understanding of the underlying mechanisms has been elusive. Recent advances in this area in several model species prompts a comparative re-examination of these drive systems. In this review, we compare female meiotic drive of several animal and plant species, highlighting pertinent similarities.

Male Sterility and Meiotic Drive Associated With Sex Chromosome Rearrangements in Drosophila: Role of X-Y Pairing

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce D McKee ◽  
Kathy Wilhelm ◽  
Cynthia Merrill ◽  
Xiao-jia Ren
Keyword(s):  
Male Sterility ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Repeated Sequence ◽  
Meiotic Pairing ◽  
Intergenic Spacers ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Novel Model

Abstract In Drosophila melanogaster, deletions of the pericentromeric X heterochromatin cause X-Y nondisjunction, reduced male fertility and distorted sperm recovery ratios (meiotic drive) in combination with a normal Y chromosome and interact with Y-autosome translocations (T(Y;A)) to cause complete male sterility. The pericentromeric heterochromatin has been shown to contain the male-specific X-Y meiotic pairing sites, which consist mostly of a 240-bp repeated sequence in the intergenic spacers (IGS) of the rDNA repeats. The experiments in this paper address the relationship between X-Y pairing failure and the meiotic drive and sterility effects of Xh deletions. X-linked insertions either of complete rDNA repeats or of rDNA fragments that contain the IGS were found to suppress X-Y nondisjunction and meiotic drive in Xh−/Y males, and to restore fertility to Xh−/T(Y;A) males for eight of nine tested Y-autosome translocations. rDNA fragments devoid of IGS repeats proved incapable of suppressing either meiotic drive or chromosomal sterility. These results indicate that the various spermatogenic disruptions associated with X heterochromatic deletions are all consequences of X-Y pairing failure. We interpret these findings in terms of a novel model in which misalignment of chromosomes triggers a checkpoint that acts by disabling the spermatids that derive from affected spermatocytes.

scholarly journals MULTIPLE MEIOTIC DRIVE SYSTEMS IN THE DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER MALE

Genetics ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-115
Author(s):  
George L Gabor Miklos ◽  
Armon F Yanders ◽  
W J Peacock
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Survival Probability ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
The Other ◽  
Segregation Distorter ◽  
Two Systems ◽  
Combined Action ◽  
Drive Systems

ABSTRACT The behaviour of two "meiotic drive" systems, Segregation-Distorter (SD) and the sex chromosome sc4sc8 has been examined in the same meiocyte. It has been found that the two systems interact in a specific way. When the distorting effects of SD and sc4sc8 are against each other, there is no detectable interaction. Each system is apparently oblivious to the presence of the other, gametes being produced according to independence expectations. However when the affected chromosomes are at the same meiotic pole an interaction occurs; the survival probability of the gamete containing both distorted chromosomal products is increased, rather than being decreased by the combined action of two systems.

The evolutionary paths to collective rituals: An interdisciplinary perspective on the origins and functions of the basic social act

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lang
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Psychology Of Religion ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Early Homo ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Evolutionary Paths

The present article is an elaborated and upgraded version of the Early Career Award talk that I delivered at the IAPR 2019 conference in Gdańsk, Poland. In line with the conference’s thematic focus on new trends and neglected themes in psychology of religion, I argue that psychology of religion should strive for firmer integration with evolutionary theory and its associated methodological toolkit. Employing evolutionary theory enables to systematize findings from individual psychological studies within a broader framework that could resolve lingering empirical contradictions by providing an ultimate rationale for which results should be expected. The benefits of evolutionary analysis are illustrated through the study of collective rituals and, specifically, their purported function in stabilizing risky collective action. By comparing the socio-ecological pressures faced by chimpanzees, contemporary hunter-gatherers, and early Homo, I outline the selective pressures that may have led to the evolution of collective rituals in the hominin lineage, and, based on these selective pressures, I make predictions regarding the different functions and their underlying mechanisms that collective rituals should possess. While examining these functions, I echo the Early Career Award and focus mostly on my past work and the work of my collaborators, showing that collective rituals may stabilize risky collective action by increasing social bonding, affording to assort cooperative individuals, and providing a platform for reliable communication of commitment to group norms. The article closes with a discussion of the role that belief in superhuman agents plays in stabilizing and enhancing the effects of collective rituals on trust-based cooperation.

scholarly journals Reconciliation of Gene and Species Trees

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Y. Rusin ◽  
E. V. Lyubetskaya ◽  
K. Y. Gorbunov ◽  
V. A. Lyubetsky
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Gene Evolution ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Species Tree ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Species Trees ◽  
Evolutionary Scenario ◽  
Algorithmic Construction ◽  
Basic Ideas ◽  
Horizontal Transfers

The first part of the paper briefly overviews the problem of gene and species trees reconciliation with the focus on defining and algorithmic construction of the evolutionary scenario. Basic ideas are discussed for the aspects of mapping definitions, costs of the mapping and evolutionary scenario, imposing time scales on a scenario, incorporating horizontal gene transfers, binarization and reconciliation of polytomous trees, and construction of species trees and scenarios. The review does not intend to cover the vast diversity of literature published on these subjects. Instead, the authors strived to overview the problem of the evolutionary scenario as a central concept in many areas of evolutionary research. The second part provides detailed mathematical proofs for the solutions of two problems: (i) inferring a gene evolution along a species tree accounting for various types of evolutionary events and (ii) trees reconciliation into a single species tree when only gene duplications and losses are allowed. All proposed algorithms have a cubic time complexity and are mathematically proved to find exact solutions. Solving algorithms for problem (ii) can be naturally extended to incorporate horizontal transfers, other evolutionary events, and time scales on the species tree.

scholarly journals Flavors of Non-Random Meiotic Segregation of Autosomes and Sex Chromosomes

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1338
Author(s):  
Filip Pajpach ◽  
Tianyu Wu ◽  
Linda Shearwin-Whyatt ◽  
Keith Jones ◽  
Frank Grützner
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Continuous Transition ◽  
Equal Chance ◽  
Random Segregation ◽  
Chromosomal Changes ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Segregation of chromosomes is a multistep process occurring both at mitosis and meiosis to ensure that daughter cells receive a complete set of genetic information. Critical components in the chromosome segregation include centromeres, kinetochores, components of sister chromatid and homologous chromosomes cohesion, microtubule organizing centres, and spindles. Based on the cytological work in the grasshopper Brachystola, it has been accepted for decades that segregation of homologs at meiosis is fundamentally random. This ensures that alleles on chromosomes have equal chance to be transmitted to progeny. At the same time mechanisms of meiotic drive and an increasing number of other examples of non-random segregation of autosomes and sex chromosomes provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of chromosome segregation but also question the textbook dogma of random chromosome segregation. Recent advances provide a better understanding of meiotic drive as a prominent force where cellular and chromosomal changes allow autosomes to bias their segregation. Less understood are mechanisms explaining observations that autosomal heteromorphism may cause biased segregation and regulate alternating segregation of multiple sex chromosome systems or translocation heterozygotes as an extreme case of non-random segregation. We speculate that molecular and cytological mechanisms of non-random segregation might be common in these cases and that there might be a continuous transition between random and non-random segregation which may play a role in the evolution of sexually antagonistic genes and sex chromosome evolution.

scholarly journals The Ecology of Bacterial Genes and the Survival of the New

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pilar Francino
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Bacterial Genomes ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Bacterial Genes ◽  
Gains And Losses

Much of the observed variation among closely related bacterial genomes is attributable to gains and losses of genes that are acquired horizontally as well as to gene duplications and larger amplifications. The genomic flexibility that results from these mechanisms certainly contributes to the ability of bacteria to survive and adapt in varying environmental challenges. However, the duplicability and transferability of individual genes imply that natural selection should operate, not only at the organismal level, but also at the level of the gene. Genes can be considered semiautonomous entities that possess specific functional niches and evolutionary dynamics. The evolution of bacterial genes should respond both to selective pressures that favor competition, mostly among orthologs or paralogs that may occupy the same functional niches, and cooperation, with the majority of other genes coexisting in a given genome. The relative importance of either type of selection is likely to vary among different types of genes, based on the functional niches they cover and on the tightness of their association with specific organismal lineages. The frequent availability of new functional niches caused by environmental changes and biotic evolution should enable the constant diversification of gene families and the survival of new lineages of genes.

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