Genetic variation for outcrossing among Caenorhabditis elegans isolates

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics
• Nematology

Background:

• Breeding system evolution is driven by genetic variation and selection on outcrossing rates.
• Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits an androdioecious system with self-fertilizing hermaphrodites and males.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify genetic variation for outcrossing-related traits in wild Caenorhabditis elegans isolates.
• To investigate the relationship between genetic variation in outcrossing traits and population competitive performance.

Main Methods:

• Measured genetic variation for male frequency, mating ability, and reproductive success in wild nematode isolates.
• Assessed population competitive performance across various laboratory environments.

Main Results:

• Significant genetic variation was found for all measured outcrossing characters.
• Environmental variation constituted a substantial portion of the total phenotypic variance.
• Substantial genetic variation for population competitive performance was observed, but it was uncorrelated with outcrossing traits.

Conclusions:

• Genetic variation is present for key outcrossing traits in Caenorhabditis elegans.
• Environmental factors significantly influence phenotypic variation.
• The lack of correlation between outcrossing traits and competitive performance offers insights into male maintenance in natural populations.