Androgenesis: where males hijack eggs to clone themselves

Schwander, Tanja; Oldroyd, Benjamin P.

doi:10.1098/rstb.2015.0534

Cited by 58 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…First, the absence of karyogamy can make the spectrum of suitable host species wider, allowing the parthenogens to expand outside, and exceed, their original sexual parents' range (e.g. earthworm Lumbricillus lineatus, fish Poecilia formosa [19]; see also [54] for an invasive hermaphroditic clam that uses androgenesis: sperm 'hijacks' eggs produced by other hermaphrodites which then develop as clones of their father, as the maternal genome is eliminated). Second, hermaphrodites can combine the production of parthenogenetic eggs and sperm, which then can be used to trigger parthenogenetic reproduction in either other conspecifics (e.g.…”

Section: (A) a Marginal Habitat?mentioning

confidence: 99%

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

Tilquin

Kokko

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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One contribution of 15 to a theme issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'. Theory predicts that sexual reproduction is difficult to maintain if asexuality is an option, yet sex is very common. To understand why, it is important to pay attention to repeatably occurring conditions that favour transitions to, or persistence of, asexuality. Geographic parthenogenesis is a term that has been applied to describe a large variety of patterns where sexual and related asexual forms differ in their geographic distribution. Often asexuality is stated to occur in a habitat that is, in some sense, marginal, but the interpretation differs across studies: parthenogens might not only predominate near the margin of the sexuals' distribution, but might also extend far beyond the sexual range; they may be disproportionately found in newly colonizable areas (e.g. areas previously glaciated), or in habitats where abiotic selection pressures are relatively stronger than biotic ones (e.g. cold, dry). Here, we review the various patterns proposed in the literature, the hypotheses put forward to explain them, and the assumptions they rely on. Surprisingly, few mathematical models consider geographic parthenogenesis as their focal question, but all models for the evolution of sex could be evaluated in this framework if the (often ecological) causal factors vary predictably with geography. We also recommend broadening the taxa studied beyond the traditional favourites.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.

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Section: (A) a Marginal Habitat?mentioning

confidence: 99%

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

Tilquin

Kokko

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…The high frequency of anucleate eggs is of particular interest, as such eggs predispose androgenesis: the development of sperm nuclei into embryos and beyond without the benefit of a maternal genome (Schwander and Oldroyd 2016). In haplodiploids, there are no developmental impediments to a sperm cell dividing within an anucleate egg and producing a male, a clone of his father (Schwander and Oldroyd 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In haplodiploids, there are no developmental impediments to a sperm cell dividing within an anucleate egg and producing a male, a clone of his father (Schwander and Oldroyd 2016). Androgenesis is documented in the ants Wasmannia auropunctata (Fournier et al 2005;Foucaud et al 2010), Vollenhovia emeryi (Ohkawara e t a l .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytogenetic basis of thelytoky in Apis mellifera capensis

et al. 2017

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-Haplodiploid insects reproduce both sexually and asexually; haploid males arise from unfertilized eggs, while diploid females arise from fertilized eggs. Some species can also produce female offspring by thelytokous parthenogenesis. For example, queenless workers of the Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera capensis , of South Africa can produce diploid female offspring from unfertilized eggs. Genetic evidence suggests that in A. m. capensis , diploidy is restored in zygotes by the fusion of two maternal pronuclei, the haploid descendants of the two alternate products of meiosis I. Here, we confirm this genetic evidence by direct cytological observation of pronucleus fusion. We also provide a description of how the fusion occurs at 4.5-5 h post oviposition and describe the meiotic events that lead up to and follow the fusion. Finally, we document numerous departures from the typical meiotic patterns, which likely explain some of the anomalous A . m. capensis individuals that have been previously identified genetically.Apis mellifera / thelytoky / central fusion / confocal fluorescence microscopy / haplodiploidy

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“…The fate of the maternal genome in ovules is far from clear. One possibility is that androgenesis in C. dupreziana does not require elimination of the female genome as ovules do not contain a nucleus but only tissues that give rise to the endosperm and other components of the future seed (Schwander and Oldroyd 2016). According to another author, if there is a female nucleus present, it simply aborts (Primack 2003).…”

Section: Common Reproductive Strategies In Saharan Endemitesmentioning

confidence: 99%