scholarly journals The genetic basis of a species-specific character in the Drosophila virilis species group.

Genetics ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 128 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
G S Spicer

Abstract The genetic basis of the species-specific dorsal abdominal stripe of Drosophila novamexicana was examined. The dorsal stripe is present in D. novamexicana and absent in all other members of the Drosophila virilis species group. Interspecific crosses between D. novamexicana and genetically marked D. virilis revealed that all four of the autosomes (except the tiny dot chromosome, which was not marked) and the sex chromosomes (the X and Y chromosome effects could not be disentangled) showed a significant effect on the width of the dorsal stripe. All the autosomes act approximately additively; only minor interactions were detected among them. No significant maternal effects were found. This means that a minimum of five loci are involved in the character difference between the two species, and this is the maximum number that this technique could discern. These results suggest that, based on the number of factors involved in the character difference, the inheritance of this character should be considered polygenic, but because chromosome 2 (the largest chromosome in the species) contributed over half of the variance toward the character difference, it is best to consider the inheritance oligogenic based on effect. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the importance of macromutation in speciation and the sex chromosome theory of speciation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex M Kulikov ◽  
Svetlana Yu Sorokina ◽  
Anton I Melnikov ◽  
Nick G Gornostaev ◽  
Dmitriy G Seleznev ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. It is well known that the shape of the male copulatory system is strongly associated with mating behavior in Drosophila. The shape of the male genitalia is also known as the most rapidly evolving structure among all morphological characters. However, only a part of the male copulating system, namely epandrium, has actually been used as the only model to study the genetic basis of species-specific differences in the shape of the copulatory system in D. simulans and D. mauritiana. Almost nothing is known about the effects of both sex chromosomes on the shape of the male mating organ. Results. Seven factors were isolated that describe variation of different parts of the male mating organ. The shape of the male mating organ depends on the combination of the sex chromosome status, the autosome status, and the male parent identity as an epigenetic factor. The effect of the male parent identity is possibly mediated through the epigenetic marking of chromosomes in interspecific hybrids during gametogenesis and a subsequent effect of the resulting signatures on the ontogeny of offspring. Epistatic interactions of the sex chromosomes and autosomes and epigenetic effects of the male parent origin from interspecific crosses influence the expression of species-specific traits in the shape of the male copulatory system. Conclusions. Epistatic interactions of the sex chromosomes and autosomes and epigenetic effects of the male parent origin from interspecific crosses influence the expression of species-specific traits in the shape of the male copulatory system. It can be assumed that sexual selection for specific genes associated with male traits implemented in the courtship ritual prevents the well-known effect of demasculinization of the X chromosome.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 1739-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Montagutelli ◽  
Rowena Turner ◽  
Joseph H Nadeau

Abstract Strong deviation of allele frequencies from Mendelian inheritance favoring Mus spretus-derived alleles has been described previously for X-linked loci in four mouse interspecific crosses. We reanalyzed data for three of these crosses focusing on the location of the gene(s) controlling deviation on the X chromosome and the genetic basis for incomplete deviation. At least two loci control deviation on the X chromosome, one near Xist (the candidate gene controlling X inactivation) and the other more centromerically located. In all three crosses, strong epistasis was found between loci near Xist and marker loci on the central portion of chromosome 2. The mechanism for this deviation from Mendelian expectations is not yet known but it is probably based on lethality of embryos carrying particular combinations of alleles rather than true segregation distortion during oogenesis in F1 hybrid females.


2004 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
MUNEO MATSUDA ◽  
YOSHIKO N. TOBARI

Parthenogenetic strains of several species have been found in the genus Drosophila. The mode of diploidization in the eggs of females has been found to be post-meiotic nuclear fusion. The genetic basis for this parthenogenesis is not understood but is believed to be under the control of a complex polygenic system. We found parthenogenetic females in an isofemale strain (LAE345) of D. pallidosa-like collected in 1981 at Lae, Papua New Guinea, and established a parthenogenetically reproducing strain. Parthenogenetic strains of D. ananassae and D. pallidosa collected at Taputimu, American Samoa had also been established by Futch (1972). D. ananassae, D. pallidosa and D. pallidosa-like are very closely related species belonging to the ananassae complex of the ananassae species subgroup of the melanogaster species group. Using these three species, we found that more than 80% of females from parthenogenetic strains produced progeny parthenogenetically and that inter-specific hybrid females also produced impaternate progeny. In the present report, we demonstrate that the mode of parthenogenesis of D. ananassae appears to be the post-meiotic nuclear doubling of a single meiotic product, and that a major gene responsible for the parthenogenesis maps to the left arm of the second chromosome of D. ananassae. We also suggest that the genetic basis for parthenogenesis capacity may be identical among the three closely related species. We discuss the function of the gene required for parthenogenesis and its significance for the evolutionary process.


1994 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masatoshi Tomaru ◽  
Yuzuru Oguma

SummaryThe interpulse interval (IPI) of courtship song in the Drosophila auraria complex is the only parameter that is consistently species-specific among the several courtship elements examined within the complex. The genetic basis of the species-specific courtship song was examined by analysing the song of interspecific hybrids and of backcross progeny. IPI of all interspecific hybrids except two showed intermediate values, suggesting autosomal control of species-specific IPI. However, significant deviation for shorter IPI from midparent was found in thirteen out of 20 crosses. The chromosomal analysis between D. auraria and D. biauraria revealed that the two major autosomes had significantly large effects on IPI, but the sex chromosome and cytoplasm had no effect. Since no interaction was detected, it is concluded that each autosome acts additively in the determination of species-specific IPI. The common ancestors of the D. auraria complex may also have had autosomal control of IPI, which has been conserved during speciation in the complex.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex M. Kulikov ◽  
Svetlana Yu. Sorokina ◽  
Anton I. Melnikov ◽  
Nick G. Gornostaev ◽  
Dmitriy G. Seleznev ◽  
...  

The sex chromosomes of the parental species, D. virilis and D. lummei were tested for the effect on trait dominance in the shape of the copulatory system in the interspecific crosses. The origin of the sex chromosome and the paternal genotype were found to affect the trait dominance in D. lummei × D. virilis progeny and backcross males heterozygous for the autosomes. A correlated variability analysis showed that the two sex chromosomes exert unidirectional effects, shifting dominance towards the conspecific phenotype. The effect of the X chromosome is to a great extent determined by epigenetic factors associated with the paternal genotype.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244339
Author(s):  
Alex M. Kulikov ◽  
Svetlana Yu. Sorokina ◽  
Anton I. Melnikov ◽  
Nick G. Gornostaev ◽  
Dmitriy G. Seleznev ◽  
...  

The shape of the male genitalia in many taxa is the most rapidly evolving morphological structure, often driving reproductive isolation, and is therefore widely used in systematics as a key character to distinguish between sibling species. However, only a few studies have used the genital arch of the male copulatory organ as a model to study the genetic basis of species-specific differences in the Drosophila copulatory system. Moreover, almost nothing is known about the effects of the sex chromosomes on the shape of the male mating organ. In our study, we used a set of crosses between D. virilis and D. lummei and applied the methods of quantitative genetics to assess the variability of the shape of the male copulatory organ and the effects of the sex chromosomes and autosomes on its variance. Our results showed that the male genital shape depends on the species composition of the sex chromosomes and autosomes. Epistatic interactions of the sex chromosomes with autosomes and the species origin of the Y-chromosome in a male in interspecific crosses also influenced the expression of species-specific traits in the shape of the male copulatory system. Overall, the effects of sex chromosomes were comparable to the effects of autosomes despite the great differences in gene numbers between them. It may be reasonably considered that sexual selection for specific genes associated with the shape of the male mating organ prevents the demasculinization of the X chromosome.


1996 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motomichi Doi ◽  
Masatoshi Tomaru ◽  
Hiroshi Matsubayashi ◽  
Kiyo Yamanoi ◽  
Yuzuru Oguma

SummaryZ-(ll)-pentacosene, Drosophila virilis sex pheromone, is predominant among the female cuticular hydrocarbons and can elicit male courtship behaviours. To evaluate the genetic basis of its production, interspecific crosses between D. novamexicana and genetically marked D. virilis were made and hydrocarbon profiles of their backcross progeny were analysed. The production of Z-(ll)-pentacosene was autosomally controlled and was recessive. Of the six D. virilis chromosomes only the second and the third chromosomes showed significant contributions to sex pheromone production, and acted additively. Analysis of recombinant females indicated that the locus on the second chromosome mapped to the proximity of position 2–218.


Genetics ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-86
Author(s):  
Arthur P Mange ◽  
L Sandler

ABSTRACT Two deficiencies for, and a dominant enhancer of, the second chromosome maternal effect mutant, "daughterless" (da), were induced with X-irradiation. Their properties were studied with respect to both da and the linked maternal effect mutant, "abnormal oocyte" (abo), with the following conclusions. (1) The most probable map positions of da and abo are: J–½–da–2½–abo, where J is a dominant marker located at 41 on the standard map. (2) The da locus is in bands 31CD-F on the polytene chromosome map; abo is to the right of 32A. (3) Because homozygous da individuals survive while individuals carrying da and a deficiency for da are lethal, it is concluded that da is hypomorphic. (4) From a weak da-like maternal effect in heterozygous da females induced by an "Enhancer of da," we have confirmed a previous report that (a) the amount of sex chromosome heterochromatin contributed by the father can influence the severity of the da maternal effect, and (b) the sex chromosome heterochromatin which influences the da effect is different from that which influences the abo effect. (5) The possibility that da and abo are in a special region of chromosome 2 concerned with the regulation of sex chromosome heterochromatin is strengthened by the observation that the Enhancer of da appears to rescue abnormal eggs produced by homozygous abo mothers. (6) The Enhancer of da is a translocation between chromosomes 2 and 3 with the second chromosome breakpoint in the basal heterochromatin; because the enhancing effect maps in this region of chromosome 2, it is possible that autosomal, as well as sex chromosomal, heterochromatin interacts with da and abo.


2000 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNELI HOIKKALA ◽  
SELIINA PÄÄLLYSAHO ◽  
JOUNI ASPI ◽  
JAAKKO LUMME

The males of six species of the Drosophila virilis group (including D. virilis) keep their wings extended while producing a train of sound pulses, where the pulses follow each other without any pause. The males of the remaining five species of the group produce only one sound pulse during each wing extension/vibration, which results in species-specific songs with long pauses (in D. littoralis about 300 ms) between successive sound pulses. Genetic analyses of the differences between the songs of D. virilis and D. littoralis showed that species-specific song traits are affected by genes on the X chromosome, and for the length of pause, also by genes on chromosomes 3 and 4. The X chromosomal genes having a major impact on pulse and pause length were tightly linked with white, apricot and notched marker genes located at the proximal third of the chromosome. A large inversion in D. littoralis, marked by notched, prevents more precise localization of these genes by classical crossing methods.


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