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Brinkmanship in intragenomic conflict.
Patrick Kennedy1, Andrew D Higginson2
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 23, 2025
Summary
Genes in genomic imprinting conflicts exploit risk-taking strategies to gain advantages. Differences in risk appetite, influenced by kin selection, determine which genes prevail in these "wars of nerve".
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Game Theory
Background:
- Intragenomic conflicts arise when genes within a genome have competing Darwinian interests.
- Social evolution research suggests these conflicts influence diverse phenotypes, but the winning mechanisms are unclear.
- Genomic imprinting, where parental alleles are expressed differently, is a key area of intragenomic conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the principles governing which genes win in intragenomic conflicts.
- To model how risk-taking behavior influences power dynamics between rival genes.
- To explore the role of kin selection in shaping gene strategies during conflict.
Main Methods:
- Utilized game theory to model interactions between rival genes.
- Focused on genomic imprinting as a specific case of intragenomic conflict.
- Analyzed how differences in risk appetite affect gene coercion and countermoves.
Main Results:
- Genes with a higher appetite for risk gain coercive advantages by exploiting the body's vulnerability.
- Kin selection creates divergent risk appetites; maternal genes may risk more for collateral benefits.
- Developmental risks, seemingly maladaptive, can be adaptive for 'higher-nerve' genes in conflict.
Conclusions:
- Risk appetite is a determinant of gene power in intragenomic conflicts, alongside other principles.
- Strategic risk-taking by genes can deter countermoves from rivals.
- Further empirical research is needed to understand the role of intragenomic brinkmanship in imprinting-related disorders.
Keywords:
brinkmanshipdeterrencedevelopmental disordersgenomic imprintinginclusive fitnessintragenomic conflictwar of nervesMore Related Videos
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