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Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Published on: March 15, 2018

The dynamic relationship between polyandry and selfish genetic elements.

Nina Wedell1

  • 1Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK. n.wedell@exeter.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|January 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) manipulate sperm, often reducing male fertility. This can drive females to seek multiple mates (polyandry) to counteract SGEs and maintain genomic harmony.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Genomics
  • Reproductive biology

Background:

  • Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are prevalent in genomes and frequently target sperm for transmission.
  • SGE manipulation of sperm often leads to reduced male fertility, impacting reproductive success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between SGEs, male fertility, and female mating strategies, particularly polyandry.
  • To explore how SGEs influence sexual selection, conflict, and genomic stability.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on SGEs, male fertility, and polyandry across taxa.
  • Analysis of SGE-driven reproductive incompatibilities and their frequency-dependent effects.
  • Examination of SGE impacts on mating behavior and reproductive traits.

Main Results:

  • Reduced male fertility due to SGEs can favor polyandry as a female strategy to bias paternity.
  • SGE-driven reproductive incompatibilities do not always favor polyandry due to frequency-dependent dynamics.
  • SGEs can directly alter mating behaviors and reproductive traits, influencing sexual selection.

Conclusions:

  • Polyandry can act as a mechanism to undermine SGE spread, promoting genomic harmony.
  • The interaction between SGEs and polyandry highlights potential for sexual conflict and selection.
  • SGEs and polyandry dynamics are crucial for understanding genome evolution and reproductive strategies.