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Genes that bias Mendelian segregation

Pierre Grognet1, Hervé Lalucque1, Fabienne Malagnac1

  • 1Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut des Energies de Demain, Paris, France; Univ Paris Sud, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Bât. 400, Orsay, France.

Plos Genetics
|May 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Meiotic Drive Elements (MDs) like Spore Killers in Podospora anserina can override inheritance laws. These elements possess both killing and protective functions on the same allele, acting as novel selfish genetic elements.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Mendelian inheritance can be circumvented by Meiotic Drive Elements (MDs).
  • MDs are genetic loci that distort meiotic segregation in their favor.
  • These elements are found across various eukaryotic genomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize Spore Killer 1 (Spok1) and Spore Killer 2 (Spok2) in the model fungus Podospora anserina.
  • To elucidate the genetic mechanisms and functional activities of these Meiotic Drive Elements.
  • To investigate their potential as novel selfish genetic elements.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic analysis of Podospora anserina.
  • Cytological studies of Spok protein localization.
  • Comparative genomics of Spok gene families.

Main Results:

  • Spok1 and Spok2 were identified as related genes with dual spore-killing and spore-protecting activities on the same allele.
  • These alleles function autonomously, independent of genomic location, and can act as MDs in other fungi.
  • Spok1 confers resistance to Spok2-mediated killing, indicating a complex interaction.

Conclusions:

  • Spok1 and Spok2 represent a novel class of selfish genetic elements driving meiotic distortion in fungi.
  • These elements belong to a multigene family prevalent in ascomycetes.
  • Their proliferation occurs through meiotic drive, independent of a discernible cellular role.

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