Revisiting synchronous gamete release by fucoid algae in the intertidal zone: fertilization success and beyond?

In the marine environment, both external fertilization and settlementare critical processes linking adult and early juvenile life-historyphases. The success of both processes can be tightly linkedin organisms lacking a larval dispersive phase. This reviewfocuses on synchronous gamete release (= spawning) in fucoidalgae. These brown macroalgae are important components of temperateintertidal ecosystems in many parts of the world, and achievesynchronous gamete release by integrating various environmentalsignals. Photosynthesis-dependent sensing of boundary-layerinorganic carbon fluxes, as well as blue light and green lightsignals, possibly perceived via a chloroplast-located photoreceptor(s),are integrated into pathways that restrict gamete release toperiods of low water motion. Avoidance of turbulent and/or highflow conditions in the intertidal zone allows high levels offertilization success in this group. Temporal patterns and synchronyof spawning in natural populations are reviewed. Most species/populationshave a more or less semilunar periodicity, although phase differencesoccur both between and within species at different geographicallocations, raising the possibility that tidal and diurnal cuesare more important than semilunar cues in entraining the response.The ecological and evolutionary role(s) of synchronous spawningin the intertidal zone are considered, particularly with regardto hybridization/reproductive isolation in species complexes,and reproductive versus recruitment assurance in the intertidalzone, where synchronous spawning during calm periods may beimportant for recruitment assurance in addition to fertilizationsuccess. Ways in which the roles of spawning synchrony couldbe tested in closely related species with contrasting matingsystems (outcrossing versus selfing) are discussed.     

Gamete interaction: Is it species‐specific?

Reproductive isolation is pivotal to maintain species separation and it can be achieved through a plethora of mechanisms. In addition, the development of barriers to gamete interaction may drive speciation. Such barriers to interspecific gamete interaction can be prezygotic or postzygotic. Considering the great diversity in animal species, it is easy to assume that regulation of the early steps of fertilization is critical to maintain species identity. One prezygotic mechanism that is often mentioned in the literature is that gamete interaction is limited to gametes of the same species. But do gametes of all animals interact in a species‐specific way? Are gamete interactions completely species‐specific or perhaps just species‐restricted? In species in which species‐restrictions have been described, is the interspecies barrier at one major step in the fertilization process or is it a combination of partially restricted steps that together lead to a block in interspecific fertilization? Are the mechanisms used to avoid interspecific crosses different between free‐spawning organisms and those with internal fertilization? This review will address these questions, focusing on prezygotic barriers, and will describe what is known about the molecular biology that may account for species‐limited gamete recognition and fertilization. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 73: 1422–1429, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Semilunar spawning cycles ofFundulus similis (Cyprinodontidae)

Synopsis The longnose killifish,Fundulus similis (Cyprinodontidae), spawns with a semilunar periodicity during an extended breeding season (March through August) along the Alabama (U.S.A.) Gulf coast. Spawning characteristically occurs during the 3–6 days of the ascending and spring tides of each semilunar tidal cycle. Such spawning cycles appear to be a relatively common adaptation within the reproductive strategies of intertidal cyprinodontids.     

HABITAT DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF REPRODUCTION OF THE INVASIVE ALGA SARGASSUM MUTICUM (PHAEOPHYTA,SARGASSACEAE) OVER TIDAL AND LUNAR CYCLES1

Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt is an invasive species that is firmly established on intertidal and subtidal rocky shores of Europe and the Pacific coast of North America. Local success and spread of S. muticum is thought to rely on its reproductive potential that seems dependent on exogenous factors like tidal and lunar cycles. This study is the first to compare the reproductive patterns (periodicity of egg expulsion and embryo settlement) of this invader in two different habitats: the middle and low intertidal. The combination of monthly, daily, and tidal samples at triplicate sites within each habitat showed a semilunar periodicity of egg expulsion and embryo settlement coincident with increasing tidal amplitude just before full and new moons. In both habitats, duration of each egg expulsion event was ～1 week, and embryo settlement occurred during the first daily low tide and with the incoming high tide during spring tides. However, both expulsion and settlement started 1–2 d earlier, expulsion saturation was faster, and settlement was higher in the mid‐ compared to the low intertidal. Our results suggest that the exact timing of gamete expulsion and embryo release of S. muticum responds to local factors, including tidal cues, which result in differences between mid‐ and low‐intertidal habitats.     

THE CONTRIBUTION OF MATING SYSTEM VARIATION TO REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION IN TWO CLOSELY RELATED CENTAURIUM SPECIES (GENTIANACEAE) WITH A GENERALIZED FLOWER MORPHOLOGY

In closely related plant species that display strong similarities in phenology and pollinator communities, differences in breeding system and associated shifts in floral traits may have important effects on the magnitude and direction of heterospecific pollen flow and hybridization. Here, we quantified the strength of several pre‐ and postzygotic barriers acting between the facultatively outcrossing Centaurium erythraea and the predominantly selfing C. littorale via a suite of experiments, and estimated the frequency of hybridization in the field using molecular markers. The reproductive barriers primarily responsible for preventing hybridization were essentially prezygotic and these acted asymmetrically. Due to differences in floral display, pollen production, and pollen transfer rates, heterospecific pollen flow occurred predominantly from C. erythraea to C. littorale. In C. littorale, on the other hand, close anther–stigma positioning and resulting higher capacity for autonomous selfing functioned as an efficient barrier to counterbalance the higher risk for hybrid mating. In both species the action of all reproductive barriers resulted in a small opportunity for hybrid establishment, which was confirmed by the occurrence of only ～1% putative hybrids in the field. Our findings confirm that differences in breeding system affect heterospecific pollen transfer patterns and that autonomous selfing may efficiently prevent hybridization.     

Strength and variability of postmating reproductive isolating barriers between four European white oak species

The identification and quantification of the relative importance of reproductive isolating barriers is of fundamental importance to understand species maintenance in the face of interspecific gene flow between hybridising species. Yet, such assessments require extensive experimental fertilisations that are particularly difficult when dealing with more than two hybridising and long-generation-time species such as oaks. Here, we quantify the relative contribution of four postmating reproductive isolating barriers consisting of two prezygotic barriers (gametic incompatibility, conspecific pollen precedence) and two postzygotic barriers (germination rate, early survival) from extensively controlled pollinations between four oak species (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens and Quercus pyrenaica) that have been shown to frequently hybridise in natural populations. We found high variation in the strength of total reproductive isolation between species, ranging from total reproductive isolation to advantage toward hybrid formation. As previously found, Q. robur pollen was unable to fertilise Q. petraea due to a strong reproductive isolating mechanism. On the contrary, Q. pubescens pollen was more efficient at fertilising Q. petraea than conspecific pollen. Overall, prezygotic barriers contribute far more than postzygotic barriers to isolate species reproductively, suggesting a role for reinforcement in the development of prezygotic barriers. Conspecific pollen precedence reduced hybrid formation when pollen competition was allowed; however, presence of conspecific pollen did not totally prevent hybridization. Our results suggest that pollen competition depends on multiple ecological and environmental parameters, including species local abundance, and that it may be of uppermost importance to understand interspecific gene flow among natural multispecies populations.     

Mating system as a barrier to gene flow

Understanding mating system as one of reproductive isolating barriers remains important although this barrier is classified in a different sense from behavioral, ecological, and mechanical isolating barriers. Selfing enhances incipient speciation while outcrossing facilitates species integrity. Here, I study how mating system affects gene exchanges between genetically diverging species in a hybrid zone. Results show that a predominant selfing species has a greater barrier to selective gene flow than does a predominant outcrossing species. Barrier to neutral gene flow convexly changes with the selfing rate due to linkage disequilibrium, with a maximum at around intermediate selfing rate. Asymmetric transient or steady‐state barriers to neutral gene flow occur between two sides of a hybrid zone when the neutral gene is affected by its linked selective gene whose alternative alleles are adaptive to heterogeneous habitats. Selfing interacts with both a physical barrier and a density‐dependent ecological regulation (a logarithmic model) to strengthen the barriers to neutral and selective gene flow. This theory helps to interpret incipient speciation driven by selfing or to explain the asymmetric gene flow or unequal genomic mixtures between closely related species caused by their asymmetric mating systems in natural hybrid zones.     

Field and laboratory observations of spawning periodicity and behavior of a northern population of the Atlantic silverside,Menidia menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae)

Synopsis The spawning periodicity and mating behavior of a northern population of the Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia, was studied both in the field (Salem Harbor, Massachusetts) and in laboratory experiments. Spawning in the field coincided with new and full moons. Under conditions of unlimited food availability in artificial outdoor pools that received natural celestial illumination or in indoor aquaria receiving no evening illumination, spawning occurred every 1–3 days rather than fortnightly. These results suggest that tidal influences are a primary factor that synchronizes spawning in M. menidia. Published reports of diel time of spawning in both marine and freshwater species of Menidia indicate a generic tendency to spawn during mid-morning. This pattern coupled with high tides that cover suitable spawning substrates during mid-morning only at fortnightly intervals could account for the semilunar spawning cycle in marine populations of Menidia. Although general characteristics of the reproductive ecology of M. menidia in Massachusetts were similar to a thoroughly studied population in South Carolina, several differences were evident. The breeding season was shorter in Massachusetts (late; April–June), and occurred over a much lower range of temperatures (9–21°C). Intensity and frequency of spawning was correlated with the height of high tide. Eggs were deposited only on mats of intertidal, filamentous algae rather than on roots or stems of Spartina alterniflora or other intertidal vegetation. Promiscuous spawning occurred in small, highly male-dominated groups of fish, primarily after the tide had begun to recede, and often at the water's edge. No predation on spawning adults was observed but the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, fed daily on developing embryos during high tide. Contribution No. 81, Massachusetts Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit, Contribution No. 349, Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook.     

Homoploid hybridization of plants in the Hengduan mountains region

The Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) is a major global biodiversity hotspot. Complex tectonic and historical climatic conditions created opportunities for natural interspecific hybridization. Likewise, anthropogenic disturbance potentially raises the frequency of hybridization. Among species studies to date, the frequency of homoploid hybridization appears in the HMR. Of nine taxa in which natural hybridization has been detected, three groups are involved in homoploid hybrid speciation, and species pairs from the remaining six genera suggest that continuous gene flow occurs in hybrid zones. Reproductive isolation may greatly affect the dynamic and architecture of hybrid zones in the HMR. Asymmetrical hybridization and introgression can primarily be attributed to both prezygotic and postzygotic barriers. The frequent observation of such asymmetry may imply that reproductive barrier contributes to maintaining species boundaries in the alpine region. Ecological isolations with environmental disturbance may promote breeding barriers between parental species and hybrids. Hybrid zones may be an important phase for homoploid hybrid speciation. Hybrid zones potentially provided abundant genetic resources for the diversification of the HMR flora. The ecological and molecular mechanisms of control and mediation for natural hybridization will help biologists to understand the formation of biodiversity in the HMR. More researches from ecological and molecular aspects were required in future studies.     

Asymmetry in reproductive isolation and its effect on directional mitochondrial introgression in the parapatric ground beetles <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carabus yamato</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. albrechti</Emphasis>

Speciation studies seek to clarify the origin of reproductive isolation, the various mechanisms working from mate recognition through postzygotic stages. Asymmetric effects of isolating barriers can result in asymmetrical gene introgression during interspecific hybridization. The flightless ground beetles Carabus yamato and C. albrechti are distributed parapatrically in Japan, showing repeated asymmetrical introgression of mitochondria from C. albrechti to C. yamato. This pattern suggests that reproductive isolation between these species is strong, but incomplete and asymmetric (i.e., weaker for the cross between a C. albrechti female and a C. yamato male). To test this hypothesis, we conducted interspecific mating experiments in the laboratory. The estimates of total reproductive isolation, which occurred mainly at the premating and postmating/prezygotic stages, were high (isolation index = 0.964 for C. yamato female × C. albrechti male and 0.886 for the reciprocal cross), supporting the hypothesis of strong, but incomplete isolation. However, the observed difference between the reciprocal crosses was not sufficiently large to conclude that it caused directional introgression of mitochondria. Instead, we found asymmetry in individual isolating barriers in the postmating/prezygotic stages that coincided with the prediction, perhaps resulting from morphological mismatch of heterospecific genitalia. Although this asymmetry was compensated for by an inverse asymmetry of isolation in the postzygotic stage, the contribution of these individual barriers to total isolation may change for our expectation when considering females mating with multiple heterospecific males.     

Hybridization and reproductive isolation between diploid Erythronium mesochoreum and its tetraploid congener E. albidum (Liliaceae)

Polyploidy has played an important role in angiosperm diversification, but how polyploidy contributes to reproductive isolation remains poorly understood. Most work has focused on postzygotic reproductive barriers, and the influence of ploidy differences on prezygotic barriers is understudied. To address these gaps, we quantified hybrid occurrence, interspecific self‐compatibility differences, and the contributions of multiple pre‐ and postzygotic barriers to reproductive isolation between diploid Erythronium mesochoreum (Liliaceae) and its tetraploid congener Erythronium albidum. Reproductive isolation between the study species was nearly complete, and naturally occurring hybrids were infrequent and largely sterile. Although postzygotic barriers effected substantial reproductive isolation when considered in isolation, the study species’ spatial distributions and pollinator assemblages overlapped little, such that interspecific pollen transfer is likely uncommon. We did not find evidence that E. albidum and E. mesochoreum differed in mating systems, indicating that self‐incompatibility release may not have fostered speciation in this system. Ultimately, we demonstrate that E. albidum and E. mesochoreum are reproductively isolated by multiple, hierarchically‐operating barriers, and we add to the currently limited number of studies demonstrating that early acting barriers such as pollinator‐mediated isolation can be important for effecting and sustaining reproductive isolation in diploid‐polyploid systems.     

Patterns of reproductive isolation in a haplodiploid – strong post‐mating,prezygotic barriers among three forms of a social spider mite

In speciation research, much attention is paid to the evolution of reproductive barriers, preventing diverging groups from hybridizing back into one gene pool. The prevalent view is that reproductive barriers evolve gradually as a by‐product of genetic changes accumulated by natural selection and genetic drift in groups that are segregated spatially and/or temporally. Reproductive barriers, however, can also be reinforced by natural selection against maladaptive hybridization. These mutually compatible theories are both empirically supported by studies, analysing relationships between intensity of reproductive isolation and genetic distance in sympatric taxa and allopatric taxa. Here, we present the – to our knowledge – first comparative study in a haplodiploid organism, the social spider mite Stigmaeopsis miscanthi, by measuring premating and post‐mating, pre‐ and post‐zygotic components of reproductive isolation, using three recently diverged forms of the mite that partly overlap in home range. We carried out cross‐experiments and measured genetic distances (mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA) among parapatric and allopatric populations of the three forms. Our results show that the three forms are reproductively isolated, despite the absence of premating barriers, and that the post‐mating, prezygotic component contributes most to reproductive isolation. As expected, the strength of post‐mating reproductive barriers positively correlated with genetic distance. We did not find a clear pattern of prezygotic barriers evolving faster in parapatry than in allopatry, although one form did show a trend in line with the ecological and behavioural relationships between the forms. Our study advocates the versatility of haplodiploid animals for investigating the evolution of reproductive barriers.     

PATTERNS OF INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS IN THE ULVA‐DOMINATED INTERTIDAL COMMUNITY IN A SOUTHERN COAST OF KOREA

The reproductive success of marine species with external fertilization depends on environmental conditions during gamete release. There is special interest presently in whether water motion causes sperm limitation under natural conditions. We investigated gamete release of Fucus vesiculosus from an exposed shore to ascertain: 1) when gametes are released during the tidal cycle, 2) when fertilization occurs, and 3) what the natural sperm:egg ratios are. Water samples were collected and concentrated over five minutes every half hour off Pemaquid Point, ME from three replicate sites within each of two locations using a pump‐filter device. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that gamete release occurred only on the two calmest spring tides. Sperm became present in the water column at the same time as oogonia (30 min^?1 h prior to high tide [HT]) and reached peak concentration at exactly HT. The sperm:egg ratio was 76:1 on 8 Oct 1999 and 21:1 on 8 Nov 1999 at exactly 30 min prior to HT and dropped sharply after HT. Gametes continued to be collected for several hours after HT but analysis of pronuclear position in aceto‐iron‐hematoxylin stained eggs revealed that all fertilization occurred at approximately HT. We modelled the total number of days when reproduction was possible using these results and wind and wave data from the National Data Buoy Center. Our research provides evidence that gamete release by F. vesiculosus occurs at slack HT on calm days and that sperm are not a limiting factor in fertilization for this species.     

PATTERNS OF INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS IN THE ULVA-DOMINATED INTERTIDAL COMMUNITY IN A SOUTHERN COAST OF KOREA

The reproductive success of marine species with external fertilization depends on environmental conditions during gamete release. There is special interest presently in whether water motion causes sperm limitation under natural conditions. We investigated gamete release of Fucus vesiculosus from an exposed shore to ascertain: 1) when gametes are released during the tidal cycle, 2) when fertilization occurs, and 3) what the natural sperm:egg ratios are. Water samples were collected and concentrated over five minutes every half hour off Pemaquid Point, ME from three replicate sites within each of two locations using a pump-filter device. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that gamete release occurred only on the two calmest spring tides. Sperm became present in the water column at the same time as oogonia (30 min⁻¹ h prior to high tide [HT]) and reached peak concentration at exactly HT. The sperm:egg ratio was 76:1 on 8 Oct 1999 and 21:1 on 8 Nov 1999 at exactly 30 min prior to HT and dropped sharply after HT. Gametes continued to be collected for several hours after HT but analysis of pronuclear position in aceto-iron-hematoxylin stained eggs revealed that all fertilization occurred at approximately HT. We modelled the total number of days when reproduction was possible using these results and wind and wave data from the National Data Buoy Center. Our research provides evidence that gamete release by F. vesiculosus occurs at slack HT on calm days and that sperm are not a limiting factor in fertilization for this species.     

BODY SIZE,NATURAL SELECTION,AND SPECIATION IN STICKLEBACKS

There is little evidence from nature that divergent natural selection is crucial to speciation. However, divergent selection is implicated if traits conferring adaptation to alternative environments also form the basis of reproductive isolation. We tested the importance of body size differences to premating isolation between two sympatric sticklebacks. The species differ greatly in size, and several lines of evidence indicate that this difference is an adaptation to alternative foraging habitats. Strong assortative mating was evident in laboratory trials, but a few hybridization events occurred. Probability of interspecific mating was strongly correlated with body size: interspecific spawning occurred only between the largest individuals of the smaller species and the smallest individuals of the larger species. Probability of spawning between similar-sized individuals from different species was comparable to spawning rates within species. Disruption of mating between individuals from different species can be traced to increased levels of male aggression and decreased levels of male courtship as size differences increased between paired individuals. Interspecific mate preferences in sympatric sticklebacks appears to be dominated by body size, implicating natural selection in the origin of species.     

Reproductive cycles in tropical intertidal gastropods are timed around tidal amplitude cycles

Reproduction in iteroparous marine organisms is often timed with abiotic cycles and may follow lunar, tidal amplitude, or daily cycles. Among intertidal marine invertebrates, decapods are well known to time larval release to coincide with large amplitude nighttime tides, which minimizes the risk of predation. Such bimonthly cycles have been reported for few other intertidal invertebrates. We documented the reproduction of 6 gastropod species from Panama to determine whether they demonstrate reproductive cycles, whether these cycles follow a 2‐week cycle, and whether cycles are timed so that larval release occurs during large amplitude tides. Two of the species (Crepidula cf. marginalis and Nerita scabricosta) showed nonuniform reproduction, but without clear peaks in timing relative to tidal or lunar cycles. The other 4 species show clear peaks in reproduction occurring every 2 weeks. In 3 of these species (Cerithideopsis carlifornica var. valida, Littoraria variegata, and Natica chemnitzi), hatching occurred within 4 days of the maximum amplitude tides. Siphonaria palmata exhibit strong cycles, but reproduction occurred during the neap tides. Strong differences in the intensity of reproduction of Cerithideopsis carlifornica, and in particular, Littoraria variegata, between the larger and smaller spring tides of a lunar month indicate that these species time reproduction with the tidal amplitude cycle rather than the lunar cycle. For those species that reproduce during both the wet and dry seasons, we found that reproductive timing did not differ between seasons despite strong differences in temperature and precipitation. Overall, we found that most (4/6) species have strong reproductive cycles synchronized with the tidal amplitude cycle and that seasonal differences in abiotic factors do not alter these cycles.     

Lunar synchronization of spawning in sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch): effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) treatment

Based on egg collection records, spontaneous spawning activity of sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch), reared in floating net cages followed a semilunar cycle. The peak of multiple spawnings coincided with declining spring tides of quarter moon periods. Maximum diameter of intra-ovarian, ripe oocytes (0.51–0.55 mm) occurred in synchrony with the quarter moon periods. Smaller oocytes (0.44–0.47 mm) were sampled during the new and full moon periods. Two structural analogues of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRHa) (des-Gly¹⁰, d -Ala⁶-LHRH ethylamide and d -Ala⁶, Pro⁹-Nethylamide-LHRH), in pelleted or dissolved form, induced mature female sea bass with a mean egg diameter of at least 0.40 mm to spawn at any day during the lunar cycle. The onset of spontaneous and LHRHa-induced spawnings occurred during low tides in the evening until dawn (from 19.00 to 05.00 hours). These results demonstrate that LHRHa can effectively induce mature sea bass to spawn independent of the highly predictable semilunar spawning rhythm. In addition, the occurrence of both spontaneous and hormone-induced spawnings at a precise period of the day suggest a tidal and diurnal cue entraining spawning of mature female sea bass.     

Sex chromosome evolution and speciation in Ficedula flycatchers

Speciation is the combination of evolutionary processes that leads to the reproductive isolation of different populations. We investigate the significance of sex-chromosome evolution on the development of post- and prezygotic isolation in two naturally hybridizing Ficedula flycatcher species. Applying a tag-array-based mini-sequencing assay to genotype single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and interspecific substitutions, we demonstrate rather extensive hybridization and backcrossing in sympatry. However, gene flow across the partial postzygotic barrier (introgression) is almost exclusively restricted to autosomal loci, suggesting strong selection against introgression of sex-linked genes. In addition to this partial postzygotic barrier, character displacement of male plumage characteristics has previously been shown to reinforce prezygotic isolation in these birds. We show that male plumage traits involved in reinforcing prezygotic isolation are sex linked. These results suggest a major role of sex-chromosome evolution in mediating post- and prezygotic barriers to gene flow and point to a causal link in the development of the two forms of reproductive isolation.