Genetic Basis of Sexual Isolation in Drosophila melanogaster

The collection of Drosophila melanogaster from Zimbabwe and nearby regions (the Z-type) yield females who would not mate with the cosmopolitan D. melanogaster males (the M-type). To dissect the genetic basis of this sexual isolation, we constructed 16 whole-chromosome substitution lines between two standard Z- and M-lines. The results were as follows: (1) All substitution lines appear normal in viability and fertility in both sexes, indicating no strong postmating isolation. (2) The genes for the behaviors are mapped to all three major chromosomes with the same ranking and comparable magnitude of effects for both sexes: III > II ⪢ X ≥ 0 (III, II and X designate the effects of the three chromosomes). The results suggest less evolution on the X than on autosomes at loci of sexual behavior. (3) The genes for “Z-maleness” are many and somewhat redundant. Whole-chromosome effects for Z-maleness appear nearly additive and show little dominance. (4) In contrast, “Z-femaleness” has less redundancy as partial genotypes never exhibit full phenotypic effects. Epistatic interactions and incomplete dominance can sometimes be detected. (5) The extensive genetic divergence underlying sexual isolation has evolved in the absence of detectable reduction in hybrid fitnesses. Sexual selection has apparently been a driving force of multiple facets of speciation at the nascent stage without reinforcement.

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Genetic Basis for Repeated Mating in Drosophila melanogaster

The American Naturalist ◽

10.1086/283694 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 133-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Donald W. Pyle ◽

Mark H. Gromko

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Repeated Mating

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THE GENETIC BASIS OF NATURAL VARIATION. V. SELECTION FOR CROSSVEINLESS POLYGENES IN NEW WILD STRAINS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/50.4.625 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 625-632

Author(s):

Roger D Milkman

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Natural Variation ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Wild Strains ◽

Selection For

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INTRACISTRONIC MAPPING OF ELECTROPHORETIC SITES IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: FIDELITY OF INFORMATION TRANSFER BY GENE CONVERSION

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/76.2.289 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

pp. 289-299

Author(s):

Margaret McCarron ◽

William Gelbart ◽

Arthur Chovnick

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Information Transfer ◽

Large Scale ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Xanthine Dehydrogenase ◽

Specific Protein ◽

Wild Type ◽

Electrophoretic Variation ◽

The Stability ◽

Recombination Experiments

ABSTRACT A convenient method is described for the intracistronic mapping of genetic sites responsible for electrophoretic variation of a specific protein in Drosophila melanogaster. A number of wild-type isoalleles of the rosy locus have been isolated which are associated with the production of electrophoretically distinguishable xanthine dehydrogenases. Large-scale recombination experiments were carried out involving null enzyme mutants induced on electrophoretically distinct wild-type isoalleles, the genetic basis for which is followed as a nonselective marker in the cross. Additionally, a large-scale recombination experiment was carried out involving null enzyme rosy mutants induced on the same wild-type isoallele. Examination of the electrophoretic character of crossover and convertant products recovered from the latter experiment revealed that all exhibited the same parental electrophoretic character. In addition to documenting the stability of the xanthine dehydrogenase electrophoretic character, this observation argues against a special mutagenesis hypothesis to explain conversions resulting from allele recombination studies.

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A Novel System of Fertility Rescue in Drosophila Hybrids Reveals a Link Between Hybrid Lethality and Female Sterility

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/163.1.217 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 163 (1) ◽

pp. 217-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel A Barbash ◽

Michael Ashburner

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Female Sterility ◽

Hybrid Lethality ◽

Hybrid Male ◽

Hybrid Female ◽

F1 Hybrid ◽

Drosophila Gene

Abstract Hybrid daughters of crosses between Drosophila melanogaster females and males from the D. simulans species clade are fully viable at low temperature but have agametic ovaries and are thus sterile. We report here that mutations in the D. melanogaster gene Hybrid male rescue (Hmr), along with unidentified polymorphic factors, rescue this agametic phenotype in both D. melanogaster/D. simulans and D. melanogaster/D. mauritiana F1 female hybrids. These hybrids produced small numbers of progeny in backcrosses, their low fecundity being caused by incomplete rescue of oogenesis as well as by zygotic lethality. F1 hybrid males from these crosses remained fully sterile. Hmr+ is the first Drosophila gene shown to cause hybrid female sterility. These results also suggest that, while there is some common genetic basis to hybrid lethality and female sterility in D. melanogaster, hybrid females are more sensitive to fertility defects than to lethality.

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One prophage WO gene rescues cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila melanogaster

10.1101/300269 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

J. Dylan Shropshire ◽

Jungmin On ◽

Emily M. Layton ◽

Helen Zhou ◽

Seth R. Bordenstein

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Vector Control ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

Embryo Rescue ◽

Field Trials ◽

Current Control ◽

Drive System ◽

World Health ◽

Fitness Advantage

AbstractWolbachia are maternally-inherited, intracellular bacteria at the forefront of vector control efforts to curb arbovirus transmission. In international field trials, the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) drive system of wMel Wolbachia is deployed to replace target vector populations, whereby a Wolbachia– induced modification of the sperm genome kills embryos. However, Wolbachia in the embryo rescue the sperm genome impairment, and therefore CI results in a strong fitness advantage for infected females that transmit the bacteria to offspring. The two genes responsible for the wMel-induced sperm modification of CI, cifA and cifB, were recently identified in the eukaryotic association module of prophage WO, but the genetic basis of rescue is unresolved. Here we use transgenic and cytological approaches to demonstrate that cifA independently rescues CI and nullifies embryonic death caused by wMel Wolbachia in Drosophila melanogaster. Discovery of cifA as the rescue gene and previously one of two CI induction genes establishes a new ‘Two-by-One’ model that underpins the genetic basis of CI. Results highlight the central role of prophage WO in shaping Wolbachia phenotypes that are significant to arthropod evolution and vector control.Significance StatementThe World Health Organization recommended pilot deployment of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to curb viral transmission to humans. Releases of mosquitoes are underway worldwide because Wolbachia can block replication of these pathogenic viruses and deterministically spread by a drive system termed cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Despite extensive research, the underlying genetic basis of CI remains only half-solved. We recently reported that two prophage WO genes recapitulate the modification component of CI in a released strain for vector control. Here we show that one of these genes underpins rescue of CI. Together, our results reveal the complete genetic basis of this selfish trait and pave the way for future studies exploring WO prophage genes as adjuncts or alternatives to current control efforts.

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The Genetic Basis of Natural Variation in Drosophila melanogaster Immune Defense against Enterococcus faecalis

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes11020234 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 234 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Joanne R Chapman ◽

Maureen A Dowell ◽

Rosanna Chan ◽

Robert L Unckless

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Enterococcus Faecalis ◽

Natural Variation ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Genome Wide Association Study ◽

Association Studies ◽

Immune Defense ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Disease Response ◽

A Genome

Dissecting the genetic basis of natural variation in disease response in hosts provides insights into the coevolutionary dynamics of host-pathogen interactions. Here, a genome-wide association study of Drosophila melanogaster survival after infection with the Gram-positive entomopathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecalis is reported. There was considerable variation in defense against E. faecalis infection among inbred lines of the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel. We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with six genes with a significant (p < 10−08, corresponding to a false discovery rate of 2.4%) association with survival, none of which were canonical immune genes. To validate the role of these genes in immune defense, their expression was knocked-down using RNAi and survival of infected hosts was followed, which confirmed a role for the genes krishah and S6k in immune defense. We further identified a putative role for the Bomanin gene BomBc1 (also known as IM23), in E. faecalis infection response. This study adds to the growing set of association studies for infection in Drosophila melanogaster and suggests that the genetic causes of variation in immune defense differ for different pathogens.

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