X-linked meiotic drive can boost population size and persistence

X-linked meiotic drivers cause X-bearing sperm to be produced in excess by male carriers, leading to female-biased sex ratios. Here, we find general conditions for the spread and fixation of X-linked alleles. Our conditions show that the spread of X-linked alleles depends on sex-specific selection and transmission rather than the time spent in each sex. Applying this logic to meiotic drive, we show that polymorphism is heavily dependent on sperm competition induced both by female and male mating behavior and the degree of compensation to gamete loss in the ejaculate size of drive males. We extend these evolutionary models to investigate the demographic consequences of biased sex ratios. Our results suggest driving X-alleles that invade and reach polymorphism (or fix and do not bias segregation excessively) will boost population size and persistence time by increasing population productivity, demonstrating the potential for selfish genetic elements to move sex ratios closer to the population-level optimum. However, when the spread of drive causes strong sex-ratio bias, it can lead to populations with so few males that females remain unmated, cannot produce offspring, and go extinct. This outcome is exacerbated when the male mating rate is low. We suggest that researchers should consider the potential for ecologically beneficial side effects of selfish genetic elements, especially in light of proposals to use meiotic drive for biological control.     

Unusual Role of the 3-OH Group of Oligosaccharide Substrates in the Mechanism of Bacillus 1,3-1,4-β-glucanase

Abstract

In the mechanism of retaining β-glycosidases, the 2-hydroxyl group of the substrate in the monosaccharyl unit involved in catalysis (subsite -1) is beleived to play an important role through hydrogen bonding interactions with protein residues that are optimized at the transition state. Commonly, removal of the 2-OH group of the substrate results in a 10–12 kcal·mol^-1 transition state destabilization. However, this effect seems not to be general as reported here for Bacillus 1,3-1,4-β-glucanase, a family 16 retaining endo-glycosidase. A p-nitrophenol 2-deosxy tetrasaccharide substrate was synthesized to probe the involvement of the 2-OH group in catalysis. Comparative kinetics with wild-type and subsite +1 mutants show that the 2-deoxy analog is a better substrate than the corresponding 2-hydroxy substrate. It is tentatively proposed that the 2-deoxy analog adopts a different conformation upon binding that compensates for the lack of the 2-OH substituent.     

Detection of Architectural Distortion in Prior Mammograms via Analysis of Oriented Patterns

We demonstrate methods for the detection of architectural distortion in prior mammograms of interval-cancer cases based on analysis of the orientation of breast tissue patterns in mammograms. We hypothesize that architectural distortion modifies the normal orientation of breast tissue patterns in mammographic images before the formation of masses or tumors. In the initial steps of our methods, the oriented structures in a given mammogram are analyzed using Gabor filters and phase portraits to detect node-like sites of radiating or intersecting tissue patterns. Each detected site is then characterized using the node value, fractal dimension, and a measure of angular dispersion specifically designed to represent spiculating patterns associated with architectural distortion.Our methods were tested with a database of 106 prior mammograms of 56 interval-cancer cases and 52 mammograms of 13 normal cases using the features developed for the characterization of architectural distortion, pattern classification via quadratic discriminant analysis, and validation with the leave-one-patient out procedure. According to the results of free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis, our methods have demonstrated the capability to detect architectural distortion in prior mammograms, taken 15 months (on the average) before clinical diagnosis of breast cancer, with a sensitivity of 80% at about five false positives per patient.     

Discovering lethal alleles across the turkey genome using a transmission ratio distortion approach

Deviation from Mendelian inheritance expectations (transmission ratio distortion, TRD) has been observed in several species, including the mouse and humans. In this study, TRD was characterized in the turkey genome using both allelic (specific- and unspecific-parent TRD) and genotypic (additive- and dominance-TRD) parameterizations within a Bayesian framework. In this study, we evaluated TRD for 23 243 genotyped Turkeys across 56 393 autosomal SNPs. The analyses included 500 sires, 2013 dams and 11 047 offspring (trios). Three different haplotype sliding windows of 4, 10 and 20 SNPs were used across the autosomal chromosomes. Based on the genotypic parameterizations, 14 haplotypes showed additive and dominance TRD effects highlighting regions with a recessive TRD pattern. In contrast, the allelic model uncovered 12 haplotype alleles with the allelic TRD pattern which showed an underrepresentation of heterozygous offspring in addition to the absence of homozygous animals. For regions with the allelic pattern, only one particular region showed a parent-specific TRD where the penetrance was high via the dam, but low via the sire. The gene set analysis uncovered several gene ontology functional terms, Reactome pathways and several Medical Subject Headings that showed significant enrichment of genes associated with TRD. Many of these gene ontology functional terms (e.g. mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint, DRM complex and Aneuploidy), Reactome pathways (e.g. Mismatch repair) and Medical Subject Headings (e.g. Adenosine monophosphate) are known to be related to fertility, embryo development and lethality. The results of this study revealed potential novel candidate lethal haplotypes, functional terms and pathways that may enhance breeding programs in Turkeys through reducing mortality and improving reproduction rate.     

Plant architectural responses in simultaneous maize/soybean strip intercropping do not lead to a yield advantage

Maize/soybean strip intercropping is a commonly used system throughout China with high crop yields at reduced nutrient input compared to sole maize. Maize is the taller crop, and due to its dominance in light capture over soybean in the intercrop, maize is expected to outperform maize in sole cropping. Conversely, soybean is the subordinate crop and intercropped soybean plants are expected to perform worse than sole soybean. Crop plants show plastic responses in plant architecture to their growing conditions to forage for light and avoid shading. There is little knowledge on plant architectural responses to growing conditions in simultaneous (non-relay) intercropping and their relationship to species yields. A two-year field experiment with two simultaneous maize/soybean intercropping systems with narrow and wide strips was conducted to characterise architectural traits of maize and soybean plants grown as intercrop and sole crops. Intercropped maize plants, especially those in border rows, had substantially greater leaf area, biomass and yield than maize plants in sole crops. Intercropped soybean plants, especially those in border rows, had lower leaf area, biomass and yield than sole soybean plants. Overall intercrop performance was similar to that of sole crops, with the land equivalent ratio (LER) being only slightly greater than one (1.03–1.08). Soybean displayed typical shade avoidance responses in the intercrop, such as greater internode elongation and changes in specific leaf area, but these responses could not overcome the consequences of the competition with the taller maize plants. Therefore, in contrast to relay intercrop systems, in the studied simultaneous maize/soybean system, plastic responses did not contribute to practically relevant increases in resource capture and yield at whole system (i.e., intercrop) level.     

THE GENOMIC TRAJECTORY OF HYBRID SWARMS: OUTCOMES OF REPEATED CROSSES BETWEEN POPULATIONS OF TIGRIOPUS CALIFORNICUS

Introgressive hybridization between genetically divergent populations is an important evolutionary process. The degree to which repeated hybridization events between the same parental taxa lead to similar genomic outcomes is unknown. This study addressed this question by following genomic trajectories of replicate hybrid swarms of the copepod Tigriopus californicus over many generations of free mating. Swarm composition was determined both by differential reproductive success of founder individuals and subsequent selection on hybrid genotypes. For one cross, between two populations showing differential fitness in the laboratory and no hybrid breakdown, the genetic trajectory was highly repeatable: replicates rapidly became dominated by alleles from the fitter parent. In a second cross, between two populations showing similar fitness and significant F2 hybrid breakdown, alleles from alternative populations dominated different replicates. Swarms exhibited a general temporal trend of decreasing cytonuclear mismatch. Some patterns of differential introgression across the genome were strikingly congruent amongst swarm replicates, both within and between cross types, and reflected patterns of segregation distortion previously observed within controlled crosses between the same parental populations. Differences in heterozygosity between the sexes, and evidence for a previously suspected sex‐distortion locus, suggest that complex interactions between sex and genotype influence hybrid swarm outcome.     

水稻粒簇生材料Cgr320的鉴定及遗传偏分离分析

籽粒簇生稻Cgr320为一类水稻突变材料,其性状表现为2~3朵颖花(籽粒)簇生在水稻主穗轴或枝梗顶部。为了进一步明确其簇生性状的遗传机制,本研究用Cgr320作父本分别与武运粳24和93-11配制了2个杂交组合,获得杂种F1、F2分离群体,对亲本、F1和F2群体的簇生性状进行了形态学观察和遗传连锁分析。结果表明,Cgr320其他农艺性状与普通栽培稻差异不显著。簇生性状在F1植株表现为野生型,在F2群体中出现严重偏离孟德尔(3∶1)遗传分离,卡方测验值X2(3∶1)为7.71和144.87。随机选取第1、2、3、4、5、6、7、8、9、10、11和12染色体上RM493、RM3762、RM1338、RM3217、RM249、RM20155、RM3325、RM22418、RM6797、RM1146、RM7557和RM27706等12对微卫星标记对武运粳24/Cgr320 22个F2隐性(簇生)单株进行遗传连锁分析,发现12个标记所扩增的22个F2隐性单株基因型都极显著偏向武运粳24,卡方检验值X2(1∶2∶1)大于X2(0.05,2)临界值5.991,控制cgr320簇生性状基因存在严重偏分离遗传,这种遗传现象必将误导我们判定控制籽粒簇生基因所在的连锁群。本研究结果将为水稻基因定位研究提供参考信息。     

Paternal‐specific S‐allele transmission in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.): the potential for sexual selection

Homomorphic self‐incompatibility is a well‐studied example of a physiological process that is thought to increase population diversity and reduce the expression of inbreeding depression. Whereas theoretical models predict the presence of a large number of S‐haplotypes with equal frequencies at equilibrium, unequal allele frequencies have been repeatedly reported and attributed to sampling effects, population structure, demographic perturbation, sheltered deleterious mutations or selection pressure on linked genes. However, it is unclear to what extent unequal segregations are the results of gametophytic or sexual selection. Although these two forces are difficult to disentangle, testing S‐alleles in the offspring of controlled crosses provides an opportunity to separate these two phenomena. In this work, segregation and transmission of S‐alleles have been characterized in progenies of mixed donors and fully compatible pollinations under field conditions in Prunus avium. Seed set patterns and pollen performance have also been characterized. The results reveal paternal‐specific distorted transmission of S‐alleles in most of the crosses. Interestingly, S‐allele segregation within any given paternal or maternal S‐locus was random. Observations on pollen germination, pollen tube growth rate, pollen tube cohort size, seed set dynamics and transmission patterns strongly suggest post‐pollination, prezygotic sexual selection, with male–male competition as the most likely mechanism. According to these results, post‐pollination sexual selection takes precedence over frequency‐dependent selection in explaining unequal S‐haplotype frequencies.     

深圳市福田区三维城市景观格局变化特征

城市景观是景观变化最快的类型之一,建成景观与绿地景观格局和功能的相互影响及空间配置是城市景观优化的核心。在紧凑型城市快速发展过程中,城市垂直方向增长成为主要扩展方式。如何定量分析三维城市景观格局变化,为城市景观优化提供科学依据还有待深入。选取深圳市福田区,以高分辨率遥感数据和建筑普查数据为基础,运用景观格局指数和景观连通性等方法定量分析建筑景观和绿地景观变化及空间影响。研究结果表明:(1)2003—2016年,福田区建筑景观主要表现为垂直向的立体扩展模式,新增建筑主要为高层和超高层建筑,建筑平均高度增加6.53 m,立体空间体积增加135.58×10~6 m~3,建筑密度仅增加2.42%,建筑景观高度差异逐渐增大,呈现出明显的三维空间异质性。(2)2003—2016年,建筑景观格局由"阶梯式"转变为"金字塔"形,受益于建筑景观的垂向增长,建成景观与绿地景观比例由1.20∶1调整为0.99∶1,建成景观减少4.03 km~2,绿地景观增加2.80 km~2。(3)建成景观的三维立体化释放了绿地景观用地空间,同时也限制了绿地景观的外部连通性,绿地景观连通性较低,大型绿地斑块间缺乏廊道连通,呈现孤岛化。研究可为城市景观空间优化和国土规划等实践提供科学依据。