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A selfish gene chastened: Tribolium castaneum Medea M4 is silenced by a complementary gene

M Scott Thomson1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 900 Wood Road, Kenosha, WI, 53141, USA, thomson@uwp.edu.

Genetica
|April 10, 2014
PubMed

Insights

The study reveals that the hybrid incompatibility factor H suppresses maternal poison from Medea factors in Tribolium castaneum. This finding explains how H prevents Medea

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Medea factors in Tribolium castaneum cause embryonic arrest in progeny lacking them.
  • This maternal-effect lethality is mediated by a maternal poison and zygotic antidote.
  • Hybrid incompatibility (H) factors interact negatively with Medea factors, potentially impacting post-zygotic isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that the hybrid incompatibility factor H suppresses the maternal poison component of Medea factors.
  • To understand the genetic interactions underlying Medea-mediated embryonic lethality and hybrid incompatibilities.

Main Methods:

  • Crossed Medea M4 strain males with H strain females to generate heterozygous F1 females.
  • Assessed M4 maternal lethal activity in F1 females and their offspring.
  • Utilized a transgenic marker (GFP eye color) linked to M4 to track inheritance.
  • Selected M4 beetles lacking H from the F2 generation to observe Medea activity restoration.

Main Results:

  • F1 females heterozygous for M4 and H failed to exhibit M4 maternal lethal activity.
  • M4 maternal lethal activity was restored in F2 offspring after H was segregated away.
  • The transgenic marker confirmed the inheritance of M4 homologues.

Conclusions:

  • The hybrid incompatibility factor H, or a closely linked factor, suppresses the maternal poison of Medea M4.
  • This suppression mechanism contributes to the negative interaction between H and Medea factors.
  • Findings support the role of gene interactions in reproductive isolation mechanisms.

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