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Updated: May 10, 2026
07:44
Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
Published on: November 28, 2019
Somatic deleterious mutation rate in a woody plant: estimation from phenotypic data
K Bobiwash1, S T Schultz, D J Schoen
1Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Heredity
|June 20, 2013
Summary
Lowbush blueberry plants show high inbreeding depression and significant autogamy depression, indicating a high rate of somatic deleterious mutations in this woody plant species.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Evolutionary biology
- Population genetics
Background:
- Long-lived clonal shrubs like lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) are important models for studying genetic parameters.
- Somatic mutations can accumulate within individuals, potentially impacting fitness and reproductive success.
- Inbreeding depression and autogamy depression (AD) are measures of reduced fitness due to relatedness and somatic mutations, respectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate inbreeding depression and somatic deleterious mutation parameters in Vaccinium angustifolium.
- To investigate the role of somatic mutations in autogamy depression (AD).
- To compare genomic deleterious mutation rates in a woody perennial with those in annual plants.
Main Methods:
- Controlled crosses were performed in Vaccinium angustifolium populations.
- Fruit set was compared between self-pollinations, autogamous (within-inflorescence), and geitonogamous (within-plant) pollinations.
- A maximum-likelihood procedure was developed and applied to estimate somatic mutation parameters from AD data.
Main Results:
- High inbreeding depression was observed, with many plants failing to set fruit after self-pollination.
- Autogamy depression (AD) was significantly different from zero for fruit set, suggesting a genetic basis.
- An average of approximately three sublethal, partially dominant somatic mutations were inferred per plant crown.
Conclusions:
- Somatic mutation in Vaccinium angustifolium contributes to a higher overall genomic deleterious mutation rate than observed in annual plants.
- Somatic mutations have significant implications for the evolutionary biology and agriculture of long-lived clonal plants.
- The developed maximum-likelihood method provides a new tool for estimating somatic mutation parameters in natural populations.
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