Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widespread among insects and in many cases cause cytoplasmic incompatibility crosses between infected males uninfected females. Such findings have been used to argue that played an important role insect speciation. Theoretical models, however, indicate alone unlikely lead stable reproductive isolation two formerly conspecific populations. Here we analyze components Drosophila recens, which is with Wolbachia, its sister species subquinaria....

Abstract The significance of gene duplication in provisioning raw materials for the evolution genomic diversity is widely recognized, but early evolutionary dynamics duplicate genes remain obscure. To elucidate structural characteristics newly arisen duplicates at infancy and their subsequent properties, we analyzed pairs with ≤10% divergence synonymous sites within genome Caenorhabditis elegans. Structural heterogeneity between copies present very history maintained over longer timescales,...

Significance Copy-number variants are ubiquitous in nature, yet their immediate functional consequences obscure. We conducted a spontaneous mutation accumulation experiment at varying sizes Caenorhabditis elegans , thereby enabling the simultaneous investigation of mutational input and strength selection on evolution copy-number changes. Whole-genome sequencing reveals highest genome-wide rate gene duplication for any species thus far. Our transcriptome analysis further demonstrates that...

Gene duplication is thought to play the singular most important role in formation of novel genes. The canonical model gene postulates that genes arise a two-step fashion, namely, (1) complete followed by (2) gradual accumulation mutations one or both copies leading an altered function. It was previously demonstrated more than 50% newborn duplicates Caenorhabditis elegans had unique exons members duplicate pair, indicating many are not functionally identical progenitor copy at birth. Both...

Mitochondrial genomes of metazoans, given their elevated rates evolution, have served as pivotal markers for phylogeographic studies and recent phylogenetic events. In order to determine the dynamics spontaneous mitochondrial mutations in small populations absence presence selection, we evolved mutation accumulation (MA) lines Caenorhabditis elegans parallel over 409 consecutive generations at three varying population sizes N = 1, 10, 100 hermaphrodites. The =1 should a minimal influence...

The rate and fitness effects of new mutations have been investigated by mutation accumulation (MA) experiments in which organisms are maintained at a constant minimal population size to facilitate the with efficacy selection. We evolved 35 MA lines Caenorhabditis elegans parallel for 409 generations three sizes (N = 1, 10, 100), representing first spontaneous long‐term experiment varying corresponding differences Productivity survivorship N 1 declined 44% 12%, respectively. average...

Gene copy-number variation (CNVs), which provides the raw material for evolution of novel genes, is widespread in natural populations. We investigated whether CNVs constitute a common mechanism genetic change during adaptation experimental Caenorhabditis elegans Outcrossing C. populations with low fitness were evolved >200 generations. The frequencies these analyzed by oligonucleotide array comparative genome hybridization, quantitative PCR, DNA sequencing across breakpoints, and single-worm...

Abstract Experimental investigations into the rates and fitness effects of spontaneous mutations are fundamental to our understanding evolutionary process. To gain insights molecular consequences mutations, we conducted a mutation accumulation (MA) experiment at varying population sizes in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, evolving 35 lines parallel for 409 generations three (N = 1, 10, 100 individuals). Here, focus on nuclear SNPs small insertion/deletions (indels) under minimal influence...

The gene duplication process has exhibited far greater promiscuity in the creation of paralogs with novel exon-intron structures than anticipated even by Ohno. In this paper I explore history field, from neo-Darwinian synthesis through Ohno’s formulation canonical model for evolution duplicates and culminating present genomic era. delineate major tenets discuss its failure to encapsulate full complexity as revealed era genomics. diverse classes originating both DNA- RNA-mediated events their...

The insect order of Hymenoptera (ants, bees, sawflies, and wasps) consists almost entirely haplodiploid species. Under haplodiploidy, males develop from unfertilized eggs are haploid, whereas females fertilized diploid. Although diploid commonly occur, haploid have never been reported. In analyzing the phenomenon gynandromorphism in parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis, we found a line that generates complete phenotypic eggs. These ovaries, can lay eggs, as shown by cytological flow...

Abstract Caenorhabditis elegans primarily reproduces as a hermaphrodite. Independent gene conversion events in mutant obligately outcrossing populations of C. [fog-2(lf)] spontaneously repaired the loss-of-function mutation fog-2 locus, thereby reestablishing hermaphroditism primary means reproduction for populations.

The consequences of mutations for population fitness depends on their individual selection coefficients and the effective size. An earlier study Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneous mutation accumulation lines evolved 409 generations at three sizes found that Ne = 1 populations declined significantly in whereas larger (Ne 5, 50) was indistinguishable from ancestral control under benign conditions. To test if MA harbor a load cryptic deleterious are obscured laboratory conditions, we measured...

Mitochondrial genomes can sustain mutations that are simultaneously detrimental to individual fitness and yet, proliferate within individuals owing a replicative advantage. We analysed the effects population dynamics of mitochondrial genome containing novel 499 bp deletion in cytochrome b(1) ( ctb-1 ) gene (Δ encoding b complex III Caenorhabditis elegans. Δ reached high heteroplasmic frequency 96% one experimental line during mutation accumulation experiment was linked additional spontaneous...

Abstract Selfish mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are variants that can proliferate within cells and enjoy a replication or transmission bias without fitness benefits for the host. mtDNA deletions in Caenorhabditis elegans reach high heteroplasmic frequencies despite significantly reducing fitness, illustrating how new give rise to genetic conflict between different levels of selection nuclear genomes. During mutation accumulation experiment C. elegans, 1,034-bp deletion originated...

Abstract DNA mismatch repair (MMR), an evolutionarily conserved pathway shared by prokaryotic and eukaryotic species alike, influences molecular evolution detecting correcting mismatches, thereby protecting genetic fidelity, reducing the mutational load, preventing lethality. Herein we conduct first genome-wide evaluation of alterations to mutation rate spectrum under impaired activity MutSα homolog, msh-2, in Caenorhabditis elegans male–female fog-2(lf) lines. We performed accumulation (MA)...

The parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis has haplo-diploid sex determination. Males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid, whereas females fertilized diploid. Females males can be easily distinguished by their morphology. A strain that produces individuals with both male female features (gynandromorphs) is studied. We provide data on female/male patterning within between individuals, environmental effects influencing the occurrence of gynandromorphism, its pattern inheritance. clear...

Gene conversion, a form of concerted evolution, bears enormous potential to shape the trajectory sequence and functional divergence gene paralogs subsequent duplication events. fog-2, sex-determination unique Caenorhabditis elegans implicated in origin hermaphroditism this species, resulted from ftr-1, an upstream unknown function. Synonymous regions fog-2 ftr-1 (excluding recent conversion tracts) suggests that occurred 46 million generations ago. between was previously discovered...

Abstract Background Transposable elements (TEs) are an almost universal constituent of eukaryotic genomes. In animals, Piwi-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs) and repressive chromatin often play crucial roles in preventing TE transcription thus restricting activity. Nevertheless, content varies widely across eukaryotes the dynamics activity silencing evolutionary time is poorly understood. Results Here, we used experimentally evolved populations C. elegans to study expression over 409...