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Related Experiment Videos

Maternal-effect selfish genes in flour beetles.

R W Beeman1, K S Friesen, R E Denell

  • 1U.S. Grain Marketing Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 3, 1992
PubMed
Summary

A newly discovered class of maternal-effect lethal M factors is common in flour beetles. These factors spread through populations by causing lethality in offspring lacking them, ensuring their own inheritance.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Dominant maternal-effect lethal factors can influence population genetics.
  • The prevalence and mechanisms of such factors in natural populations are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and properties of a novel class of maternal-effect lethal factors in Tribolium castaneum.

Main Methods:

  • Field collection of Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum populations across continents.
  • Genetic analysis to identify and characterize the M factors and their integration into host chromosomes.
  • Assessing the self-selection and rescue properties of M factors.

Main Results:

  • A widespread, previously unknown class of dominant, maternal-effect lethal M factors was identified in natural Tribolium castaneum populations.
  • These M factors integrate into host chromosomes and exhibit self-selection, causing lethality in offspring without a copy.
  • M factors perpetuate the M-bearing chromosome over its non-M homolog, even without additional selective advantages.
  • Similar factors were also found in the related species Tribolium confusum.

Conclusions:

  • The discovered M factors represent a novel genetic mechanism driving their own spread in populations.
  • These factors can significantly impact the genetic structure and evolution of Tribolium populations.
  • The findings suggest a potential mechanism for rapid genetic change and adaptation in natural populations.

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