Asexual reproduction: Genetics and evolutionary aspects

Meeûs, Thierry De; Prugnolle, Franck; Agnew, Philip

doi:10.1007/s00018-007-6515-2

Cited by 142 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 90 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

109

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition, our model also included asexual reproduction at rate c (probability that an individual is generated by asexual reproduction, seven values evaluated: 0, 0.5, 0.8, 0.9, 0.99, 0.999 and 1). We considered an asexual reproduction event as the production of a new independent individual that is an exact copy of the parental individual (or only different by somatic mutation) (de Meeû s et al, 2007). As in Glémin et al (2001), each individual genome possessed the S-locus, which regulated SI, and a viability locus, whose state determined individual fitness.…”

Section: Genetic Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the reasons for which some species maintain an SI system whereas other species lose it are not completely understood. It has been suggested that asexual reproduction, 'when an individual produces new individuals that are genetically identical to the ancestor at all loci in the genome, except at those sites that have experienced somatic mutations' (de Meeû s et al, 2007), has a function in the maintenance or breakdown of SI. Two studies suggest that asexuality could relieve the main selective pressures that favor the breakdown of SI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Genetic diversity and fitness in small populations of partially asexual, self-incompatible plants

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How self-incompatibility systems are maintained in plant populations is still a debated issue. Theoretical models predict that self-incompatibility systems break down according to the intensity of inbreeding depression and number of S-alleles. Other studies have explored the function of asexual reproduction in the maintenance of self-incompatibility. However, the population genetics of partially asexual, self-incompatible populations are poorly understood and previous studies have failed to consider all possible effects of asexual reproduction or could only speculate on those effects. In this study, we investigated how partial asexuality may affect genetic diversity at the S-locus and fitness in small self-incompatible populations. A genetic model including an S-locus and a viability locus was developed to perform forward simulations of the evolution of populations of various sizes. Drift combined with partial asexuality produced a decrease in the number of alleles at the S-locus. In addition, an excess of heterozygotes was present in the population, causing an increase in mutation load. This heterozygote excess was enhanced by the self-incompatibility system in small populations. In addition, in highly asexual populations, individuals produced asexually had some fitness advantages over individuals produced sexually, because sexual reproduction produces homozygotes of the deleterious allele, contrary to asexual reproduction. Our results suggest that future research on the function of asexuality for the maintenance of self-incompatibility will need to (1) account for whole-genome fitness (mutation load generated by asexuality, self-incompatibility and drift) and (2) acknowledge that the maintenance of self-incompatibility may not be independent of the maintenance of sex itself.

show abstract

Section: Genetic Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity and fitness in small populations of partially asexual, self-incompatible plants

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…C lonality or asexual reproduction corresponds to the production of new individuals genetically identical to the ancestor at all loci in the genome, except at those sites that have experienced somatic mutations (De Meeûs et al, 2007b). Many parasite species reproduce clonally, at least during one stage of their life-cycle.…”

Section: Clonality and Deviation From Hardy-weinberg Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many parasite species reproduce clonally, at least during one stage of their life-cycle. Depending on their complexity, we may roughly distinguish three kinds of parasite life-cycles (De Meeûs et al, 2007b). The first kind is the life-cycle with only one (I) round of clonality (or LC-I).…”

Section: Clonality and Deviation From Hardy-weinberg Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of clonality on parasite population genetic structure

Prugnolle

Meeûs

2008

Parasite

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Among types of parthenogenesis, arrhenotoky (which produces haploid males) is always associated with sexual reproduction (De Meeûs, Prugnolle, & Agnew, 2007). On the contrary, thelytoky (which produces only females) as well as deuterotoky (producing females and nonreproductive males) allow for evolution toward obligate parthenogenesis in which sexual reproduction is suppressed (De Meeûs et al., 2007; Lenormand, Roze, Cheptou, & Maurice, 2016). On a cytological basis, two main types of thelytokous parthenogenesis can be distinguished.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the relationship between tychoparthenogenesis and inbreeding depression in the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Little

Chapuis

Blondin

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tychoparthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction in which a small proportion of unfertilized eggs can hatch spontaneously, could be an intermediate evolutionary link in the transition from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction. The lower fitness of tychoparthenogenetic offspring could be due to either developmental constraints or to inbreeding depression in more homozygous individuals. We tested the hypothesis that in populations where inbreeding depression has been purged, tychoparthenogenesis may be less costly. To assess this hypothesis, we compared the impact of inbreeding and parthenogenetic treatments on eight life‐history traits (five measuring inbreeding depression and three measuring inbreeding avoidance) in four laboratory populations of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, with contrasted demographic histories. Overall, we found no clear relationship between the population history (illustrated by the levels of genetic diversity or inbreeding) and inbreeding depression, or between inbreeding depression and parthenogenetic capacity. First, there was a general lack of inbreeding depression in every population, except in two populations for two traits. This pattern could not be explained by the purging of inbreeding load in the studied populations. Second, we observed large differences between populations in their capacity to reproduce through tychoparthenogenesis. Only the oldest laboratory population successfully produced parthenogenetic offspring. However, the level of inbreeding depression did not explain the differences in parthenogenetic success between all studied populations. Differences in development constraints may arise driven by random and selective processes between populations.

show abstract

Asexual reproduction: Genetics and evolutionary aspects

Cited by 142 publications

References 90 publications

Genetic diversity and fitness in small populations of partially asexual, self-incompatible plants

Genetic diversity and fitness in small populations of partially asexual, self-incompatible plants

The impact of clonality on parasite population genetic structure

Exploring the relationship between tychoparthenogenesis and inbreeding depression in the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About