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Widespread genomic incompatibilities in Caenorhabditis elegans
L Basten Snoek1, Helen E Orbidans2, Jana J Stastna2
1Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
G3 (Bethesda, Md.)
|August 17, 2014
Summary
Researchers identified numerous Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) incompatibilities in Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing genetic regions that disrupt egg laying and may contribute to reproductive isolation and speciation.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Speciation Research
Background:
- The Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) model explains speciation through incompatible allele interactions.
- Negative epistasis and genetic incompatibilities can cause reduced fitness in hybrids, known as outbreeding depression and F2 breakdown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and map BDM incompatibilities in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
- To investigate genomic regions affecting complex traits like egg laying.
Main Methods:
- Utilized introgression lines and recombinant inbred lines from C. elegans isolates CB4856 and N2.
- Employed quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping to identify incompatibility regions.
- Analyzed effects on egg laying, lifespan, and reproduction.
Main Results:
- Discovered multiple QTL associated with a synthetic egg-laying defective phenotype.
- Observed complex interactions involving multiple loci for some incompatibilities.
- Found that identified QTL regions also impact other life history traits, suggesting deleterious effects.
Conclusions:
- Numerous BDM incompatibilities can be detected and mapped within C. elegans.
- These incompatibilities contribute to a synthetic phenotype and may play a role in reproductive isolation.
- The identified genetic regions have pleiotropic effects on multiple traits.
