Selfish genetic elements

Werren, John H.; Nur, Uzi; Wu, Chung‐I

doi:10.1016/0169-5347(88)90105-x

Cited by 199 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Whereas an ultimate explanation for this pattern of cytoplasmic inheritance, avoidance of lethal intragenomic con£ict, has been discussed widely (Cosmides & Tooby 1981;Werren et al 1988;Hurst 1992), except for those species in which the sperm's mitochondria are lost during fertilization (Lambert & Battaglia 1993), the proximate mechanisms for strict maternal inheritance remain a mystery. The structural stability of the sperm's mitochondrial derivative throughout embryonic development, and its sequestration in the midgut, may provide a mechanism by which the embryo actively avoids paternal mtDNA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paternal products and by–products in Drosophila development

Pitnick

Karr

1998

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Tails of fertilizing spermatozoa persist throughout embryogenesis in Drosophila species and can be observed within the midguts of larvae after hatching. Throughout development, sperm proteins slowly di¡use or are stripped from the giant sperm tail residing within the embryo's anterior end. The shape and position of the sperm within the embryo are regulated such that, during organ formation, the unused portion of the sperm is enveloped by the developing midgut. This persistent, paternally derived structure is composed of the sperm's mitochondrial derivatives and appears to be defaecated by the larva soon after hatching. These complex sperm^egg interactions may represent mechanisms to avoid intragenomic con£ict by ensuring strictly maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paternal products and by–products in Drosophila development

Pitnick

Karr

1998

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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“…Much attention has been increasingly paid to selfish genetic elements such as Wolbachia (eg, Werren et al, 1988;O'Neill et al, 1997). Wolbachia are a group of cytoplasmically transmitted bacteria prevailing widely among arthropods (eg Stouthamer et al, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feminizing Wolbachia in an insect, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

et al. 2002

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“…Selfish cytoplasmic elements (SCEs) are uniparentally inherited endosymbionts which act to maximize their own fitness at the expense of their hosts' fitness (Werren et al, 1988;Hurst, 1993;Hurst et al, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fitness compensation and the evolution of selfish cytoplasmic elements

FREELAND¹,

McCABE²

1997

Heredity

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Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and male-killing (MK) are both examples of the action of selfish cytoplasmic elements. Both are found in a wide variety of host arthropod species and sometimes coexist within the same species. Although classical models suggest that fitness compensation is potentially important in explaining the invasion of the MK cytotype, no mode! of CI evolution incorporates this effect. We construct a discrete-time mathematical model which describes a host population containing both CI and MK, permitting fitness compensation for survivors of broods which suffer partial mortality as a result of the behaviour of either element. In the absence of fitness compensation, classical models of CI predict the existence of a threshold frequency at which infected individuals must be introduced in order to spread in a wild-type population. We examine whether fitness compensation will affect the ease of spread of CI (reduce the lower threshold) and its equilibrium frequency. Fitness compensation is found to affect the dynamics of CI in a complex manner. This is so, regardless of whether one considers the introduction of individuals infected with the CI element alone, or the introduction of individuals infected with both CI and MK elements into a wild-type population.The model predicts that fitness compensation has only a small effect on the dynamics of Cl/wild-type population. In contrast, when individuals infected with both CI and MK agents are introduced into a wild-type population, the presence of plausible levels of fitness compensation may greatly facilitate the spread of CI. We note that this apparent synergism may be expected from the coexistence of CI with other sex-ratio distorters.

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Selfish genetic elements

Cited by 199 publications

References 32 publications

Paternal products and by–products in Drosophila development

Paternal products and by–products in Drosophila development

Feminizing Wolbachia in an insect, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Fitness compensation and the evolution of selfish cytoplasmic elements

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