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Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
05:39

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Published on: December 2, 2022

The evolution of strong reproductive isolation.

Nicholas H Barton1, Maria Angeles Rodriguez de Cara

  • 1Institute of Science and Technology, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg A-3400, Austria. nick.barton@ist-austria.ac.at

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|January 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Selection can strengthen reproductive isolation through assortative mating or by coupling different genetic incompatibilities. This coupling mechanism, even with hybrid inviability, offers a novel perspective on reinforcement evolution.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Reproductive isolation is key to speciation.
  • Traditional reinforcement focuses on prezygotic isolation and assortative mating.
  • Felsenstein identified two selection mechanisms strengthening isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To generalize Felsenstein's "two allele" model to multiple incompatibilities.
  • To explore how coupling between incompatibilities drives reinforcement.
  • To investigate the role of pre- and postzygotic factors in isolation evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Generalization of the "two allele" model for multiple incompatibilities.
  • Analysis of genetic associations and epistasis.
  • Approximation for tight linkage and strong assortment limits.

Main Results:

  • Strong isolation can evolve via coupling of any incompatibilities (pre- or postzygotic).
  • Coupling increases compatibility variance, enhancing fitness with positive epistasis.
  • Incompatibilities couple with hybrid inviability loci to reduce harmful recombination.

Conclusions:

  • Reinforcement can occur through novel coupling mechanisms beyond assortative mating.
  • Genetic architecture and epistasis play crucial roles in the evolution of reproductive isolation.
  • Assortment alleles can invade by associating with other isolation components.