Sexual reproduction of soft coral, Scleronephthya gracillimum, (Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) based on long-term collection from Jejudo Island, Korea

While sex can be advantageous for a lineage in the long term, we still lack an explanation for its maintenance with the twofold cost per generation. Here we model an infinite diploid population where two autosomal loci determine, respectively, the reproductive mode, sexual versus asexual and the mating system, polygynous (costly sex) versus monogamous (assuming equal contribution of parents to offspring, i.e. non-costly sex). We show that alleles for costly sex can spread when non-costly sexual modes buffer the interaction between asexual and costly sexual strategies, even without twofold benefit of recombination with respect to asexuality. The three interacting strategies have intransitive fitness relationships leading to a rock–paper–scissors dynamics, so that alleles for costly sex cannot be eliminated by asexuals in most situations throughout the parameter space. Our results indicate that sexual lineages with variable mating systems can resist the invasion of asexuals and allow for long-term effects to accumulate, thus providing a solution to the persisting theoretical question of why sex was not displaced by asexuality along evolution.

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Mating type segregation in Choanephora cucurbitarum following sexual reproduction

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b96-114 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 74 (6) ◽

pp. 919-923 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M. Q. Yu ◽

W. H. Ko

Keyword(s):

Sexual Reproduction ◽

Mating Type ◽

Long Term Storage ◽

Respective Parent ◽

Choanephora Cucurbitarum ◽

The Cross ◽

Term Storage ◽

Hyphal Fragment

Zygospore progeny from the cross between + and − isolates of Choanephora cucurbitarum consisted of +, −, and ± types. The + and − zygospore isolates were stable, giving rise to hyphal fragment cultures and sporangiospores with the same mating type as their respective parent. However, the ± zygospore isolates were unstable, segregating to +, −, and ± types during asexual propagations. During long-term storage, the + and − isolates were also very stable, but ± isolates were not. All the ± isolates originating from single zygospores, hyphal fragments, or sporangiospores produced azygospores, suggesting that azygospores of this fungus are produced by mating-type heterokaryotic mycelia. Keywords: azygospore, Choanephora cucurbitarum, germsporangiospore, germsporangium, zygospore germination.

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Cytotoxic and Anti-Inflammatory Metabolites from the Soft Coral Scleronephthya gracillimum

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md11061853 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1853-1865 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Hui-Yu Fang ◽

Chi-Hsin Hsu ◽

Chih-Hua Chao ◽

Zhi-Hong Wen ◽

Yang-Chang Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soft Coral ◽

Scleronephthya Gracillimum ◽

Anti Inflammatory

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Genomic Signature of Sexual Reproduction in the Bdelloid Rotifer Macrotrachella quadricornifera

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/iyab221 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Veronika N Laine ◽

Timothy Sackton ◽

Matthew Meselson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Reproduction ◽

Genomic Signature ◽

Allele Sharing ◽

Bdelloid Rotifer ◽

Freshwater Invertebrates ◽

Bdelloid Rotifers ◽

Worldwide Distribution

Abstract Bdelloid rotifers, common freshwater invertebrates of ancient origin and worldwide distribution have long been thought to be entirely asexual, being the principal exception to the view that in eukaryotes the loss of sex leads to early extinction. That bdelloids are facultatively sexual is shown by a study of allele sharing within a group of closely related bdelloids of the species Macrotrachella quadricornifera, supporting the view that sexual reproduction is essential for long-term success in all eukaryotes.

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