Opposites attract? Mate choice for parasite evasion and the evolutionary stability of sex

If sex is naturally selected as a way to combat parasites, then sexual selection for disease resistance might increase the overall strength of selection for outcrossing. In the present study, we compared how two forms of mate choice affect the evolutionary stability of outcrossing in simultaneous hermaphrodites. In the first form, individuals preferred to mate with uninfected individuals (condition-dependent choice). In the second form, individuals preferred to mate with individuals that shared the least number of alleles in common at disease-resistance loci. The comparisons were made using individual-based computer simulations in which we varied parasite virulence, parasite transmission rate, and the rate of deleterious mutation at 500 viability loci. We found that alleles controlling both forms of mate choice spread when rare, but their effects on the evolutionary stability of sex were markedly different. Surprisingly, condition-dependent choice for uninfected mates had little effect on the evolutionary stability of sexual reproduction. In contrast, active choice for mates having different alleles at disease-resistance loci had a pronounced positive effect, especially under low rates of deleterious mutation. Based on these results, we suggest that mate choice that increases the genetic diversity of offspring can spread when rare in a randomly mating population, and, as an indirect consequence, increase the range of conditions under which sexual reproduction is evolutionarily stable.     

Parental effect of DNA (Cytosine-5) methyltransferase 1 on grandparental-origin-dependent transmission ratio distortion in mouse crosses and human families

Transmission ratio distortion (TRD) is a deviation from the expected Mendelian 1:1 ratio of alleles transmitted from parents to offspring and may arise by different mechanisms. Earlier we described a grandparental-origin-dependent sex-of-offspring-specific TRD of maternal chromosome 12 alleles closely linked to an imprinted region and hypothesized that it resulted from imprint resetting errors in the maternal germline. Here, we report that the genotype of the parents for loss-of-function mutations in the Dnmt1 gene influences the transmission of grandparental chromosome 12 alleles. More specifically, maternal Dnmt1 mutations restore Mendelian transmission ratios of chromosome 12 alleles. Transmission of maternal alleles depends upon the presence of the Dnmt1 mutation in the mother rather than upon the Dnmt1 genotype of the offspring. Paternal transmission mirrors the maternal one: live-born offspring of wild-type fathers display 1:1 transmission ratios, whereas offspring of heterozygous Dnmt1 mutant fathers tend to inherit grandpaternal alleles. Analysis of allelic transmission in the homologous region of human chromosome 14q32 detected preferential transmission of alleles from the paternal grandfather to grandsons. Thus, parental Dnmt1 is a modifier of transmission of alleles at an unlinked chromosomal region and perhaps has a role in the genesis of TRD.     

Plant virus infection modifies plant pigment and manipulates the host preference behavior of an insect vector

Insect-borne plant viruses may modify the phenotype of their host plants and thus influence the responses of insect vectors. When a plant virus modifies host preference behavior of a vector, it can be expected to influence the rate of virus transmission. In this study, we examined the effect of Maize Iranian mosaic virus (MIMV) infection on host preference behavior of the nymphs and adults of its vector, the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus Fallén (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), feeding on barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L., Poaceae). We found that both viruliferous nymphs and adults significantly preferred healthy plants, whereas non-viruliferous planthoppers preferred virus-infected barley. Further investigations revealed significant reductions in the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of infected barley leaves. Based on these results, a possible association between insect host preferences and the pigment contents of the plants was observed. In summary, we suggest that host preference of L. striatellus could be affected by the propagative plant virus, possibly through association of this modification with some phenotypic traits of infected plants. These effects may have a critical impact on MIMV transmission rate, with significant implications for the development of virus epidemics.     

Vector within‐host feeding preference mediates transmission of a heterogeneously distributed pathogen

1. Ecological theory predicts that vector preference for certain host species or discrimination between infected versus uninfected hosts impacts disease incidence. However, little information exists on the extent to which vector within‐host feeding preference mediates transmission. This may be particularly important for plant pathogens, such as sharpshooter transmission of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which are distributed irregularly throughout hosts. 2. We documented the within‐host distribution of two vector species that differ in transmission efficiency, the leafhoppers Draeculacephala minerva and Graphocephala atropunctata, and which are free to move throughout entirely caged alfalfa plants. The more efficient vector D. minerva fed preferentially at the base of the plant near the soil surface, whereas the less efficient G. atropunctata preferred overwhelming the top of the plant. 3. Next we documented X. fastidiosa heterogeneity in mechanically inoculated plants. Infection rates were up to 50% higher and mean bacterial population densities were 100‐fold higher near the plant base than at the top or in the taproot. 4. Finally, we estimated transmission efficiency of the two leafhoppers when they were confined at either the base or top of inoculated alfalfa plants. Both vectors were inefficient when confined at the top of infected plants and were 20–60% more efficient when confined at the plant base. 5. These results show that vector transmission efficiency is determined by the interaction between leafhopper within‐plant feeding behaviour and pathogen within‐plant distribution. Fine‐scale vector and pathogen overlap is likely to be a requirement generally for efficient transmission of vector‐borne pathogens.     

Tomato plant and leaf age effects on the probing and settling behavior of Frankliniella fusca and Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

The effect of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., plant and leaf age on the probing and settling behavior of Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) and F. occidentalis (Pergande) was studied using electrical penetration graph technique and whole plant bioassays. Male and female F. fusca probed and ingested more and for longer periods of time on 3- and 4-wk-old plants compared with 6- and 8-wk-old plants. Female F. fusca probed and ingested more frequently than males in the plant age experiment, but not in the leaf age experiment. F. fusca probed and ingested more frequently on 2- and 4-wk-old leaves compared with 1-wk-old leaves. Plant age did not affect the probing frequency or duration of F. occidentalis; however, males probed and ingested longer than females in the plant age experiment and on the oldest leaf in the leaf age experiment. Both thrips species preferred to settle on 3-wk-old plants. F. fusca preferred to settle on 4-wk-old leaves after settling randomly for an hour. F. occidentalis showed no settling preference relative to leaf age. The preference of F. fusca for young plants suggests that this species could attack tomato plants at a very early stage, which is important for understanding its role as a vector in the transmission of Tospovirus in the field.     

Abnormal uterus with polycysts, accumulation of uterine prostaglandins, and reduced fertility in mice heterozygous for acyl-CoA synthetase 4 deficiency.

Arachidonate released by various stimuli is rapidly reesterified into membrane phospholipids initiated by acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) and subsequent acyl-transfer reactions. ACS4 is an arachidonate-preferring enzyme abundant in steroidogenic tissues and postulated to modulate eicosanoid production. Female mice heterozygous for ACS4 deficiency become pregnant less frequently and produce small litters with extremely low transmission of the disrupted alleles. Striking morphological changes, including extremely enlarged uteri and lumina filled with numerous proliferative cysts of various sizes, were detected in ACS4+/- females. Furthermore, marked accumulation of prostaglandins was seen in the uterus of the heterozygous females. These results indicate that ACS4 modulates female fertility and uterine prostaglandin production.     

Multiple QTL mapping in related plant populations via a pedigree-analysis approach

QTL mapping experiments in plant breeding may involve multiple populations or pedigrees that are related through their ancestors. These known relationships have often been ignored for the sake of statistical analysis, despite their potential increase in power of mapping. We describe here a Bayesian method for QTL mapping in complex plant populations and reported the results from its application to a (previously analysed) potato data set. This Bayesian method was originally developed for human genetics data, and we have proved that it is useful for complex plant populations as well, based on a sensitivity analysis that was performed here. The method accommodates robustness to complex structures in pedigree data, full flexibility in the estimation of the number of QTL across multiple chromosomes, thereby accounting for uncertainties in the transmission of QTL and marker alleles due to incomplete marker information, and the simultaneous inclusion of non-genetic factors affecting the quantitative trait.     

硬肉桃品种群SSR标记的遗传多样性分析

以45个硬肉桃品种为试材,利用25对位于桃遗传参考图谱上8个连锁群的SSR引物进行了硬肉桃种质资源遗传多样性研究。结果表明:25对SSR引物共获得152个扩增位点,其中多态性位点146个,多态性高达96.05%,Nei′s遗传多样性指数(He)为0.2283,Shannon信息指数(H0)为0.3609。长江流域桃区的硬肉桃品种群体具有最高的Nei′s遗传多样性指数(0.2211)和Shannon信息指数(0.3476),其次为华南亚热带桃区和云贵高原桃区,最低的为华北平原桃区。UPGMA聚类分析结果虽然体现出一定的生态区划特征,但不完全与地理起源相吻合,不同生态区的硬肉桃品种存在一定的交叉;长江流域桃区和云贵高原桃区的硬肉桃品种亲缘关系较近,其次为华南亚热带桃区,最远的为华北平原桃区。本研究鉴定结果更倾向于认为长江流域的硬肉桃可能来源于北方硬肉桃群体,还可能来源于云贵高原生态区和华南亚热带生态区的硬肉桃群体。     

Genotype/phenotype correlation in a SCA1 family: anticipation without CAG expansion

We report on a family with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), in which the age at onset and the severity of the disease do not correlate with the number of CAG repeat units. Although a marked anticipation was observed in the proband, it was not a consequence of an expansion of the CAG tract. None of the expanded alleles contained CAT interruptions. The pathologic expansion in this family was stable during the paternal but not maternal transmission, where it expanded by one trinucleotide and unexpectedly did not lead to anticipation. Our observations suggest that factors other than the length of the CAG repeat play a considerable role in determination of the disease course.     

Background matching behaviour and pathogen acquisition: plant site preference does not predict the bacterial acquisition efficiency of vectors

Many insect-borne pathogens are heterogeneously distributed within their hosts: therefore, a vector’s within-plant distribution may be a predictor of its exposure to pathogens. In this study, we set out to quantify plant site preference, in the context of background matching, and investigated its effect on acquisition of a bacterial pathogen by its leafhopper vectors. The two green-coloured species, Graphocephala atropunctata and Draeculacephala minerva, preferred green plant tissue and artificial backgrounds whereas the brown-coloured Homalodisca vitripennis preferred brown stem tissue and backgrounds. Within-plant feeding site did not predict either the acquisition success or the number of plant-pathogenic Xylella fastidiosa cells acquired by the vectors; an 86% mortality for G. atropunctata was reported on the lignified stem tissue. Overall, H. vitripennis acquired significantly more cells than G. atropunctata. A novel artificial diet-based transmission system was used to further illustrate that the observed between-species difference in the number of cells acquired was independent of vector-host plant interactions. H. vitripennis, a less efficient vector of the bacterium X. fastidiosa on grapevines, acquired more bacterial cells than G. atropunctata, possibly due to its larger size. Contrary to previous assumptions, pathogen acquisition efficiency by the vectors did not explain their reported differences in inoculation. Vector interactions with the host during the inoculation stage should be evaluated as another determinant of X. fastidiosa transmission efficiency.     

Male traits influence odour‐based mate choice in the three‐spined stickleback

Female three‐spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus preferred odour stemming from males with a nest over 'neutral' water and odour from males without any nest in an experimental flow channel. Males without any nest were preferred over females when either having the same major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class lI genotype or being unattractive in respect to MHC class II alleles.     

Quantifying aphid behavioral responses to environmental change

Aphids are the most common vector of plant viruses, and their feeding behavior is an important determinant of virus transmission. Positive effects of global change on aphid performance have been documented, but effects on aphid behavior are not known. We assessed the plant‐mediated behavioral responses of a generalist aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), to increased CO₂ and nitrogen when feeding on each of three host species: Amaranthus viridis L. (Amaranthaceae), Polygonum persicaria L. (= Persicaria maculosa Gray) (Polygonaceae), and Solanum dulcamara L. (Solanaceae). Via a family of constrained Markov models, we tested the degree to which aphid movements demonstrate preference among host species or plants grown under varying environmental conditions. Entropy rates of the estimated Markov chains were used to further quantify aphid behavior. Our statistical methods provide a general tool for assessing choice and quantitatively comparing animal behavior under different conditions. Aphids displayed strong preferences for the same host species under all growth conditions, indicating that CO₂‐ and N‐induced changes in plant chemistry have minimal effects on host preference. However, entropy rates increased in the presence of non‐preferred hosts, even when preferred hosts were available. We conclude that the presence of a non‐preferred host species affected aphid‐feeding behavior more than changes in plant leaf chemistry when plants were grown under elevated CO₂ and increased N availability.     

绵麦37特异位点在其衍生品种中的遗传贡献率分析

优良亲本的创制和利用能有效提高育种效率。文章对绵麦37及其衍生品种产量构成因子和抗病性进行比较鉴定, 并利用SSR标记检测高产品种绵麦367遗传背景中绵麦37的遗传贡献。结果表明：衍生品种丰产性显著提高, 穗粒数的增加是衍生品种增产的主要因素; 绵麦37及其衍生品种高抗当前国内条锈菌主要流行小种, 特别是高抗对Yr24/Yr26具有强毒性的条锈病新菌株V26; 绵麦37优良的抗病性很好地传递给了后代品种; 在绵麦367等后代品种的遗传背景中, 绵麦37的遗传贡献率达78.9%, 其中A、B、D基因组中的遗传率分别为75.0%、83.6%和74.2%, 远高于理论值50.0%; 衍生品种绵麦367与绵麦37相同染色体区段主要为2B的Xgwm374-Xbarc167-Xbarc128-Xgwm129-Xgwm388-Xbarc101, 3B的Xwmc446-Xwmc366-Xwmc533-Xbarc164- Xwmc418等区段, 这些区段包含了许多重要性状位点如穗粒数、千粒重和抗病性等。这可能是由于人工定向选择的结果, 使那些与目标性状紧密连锁的位点被高频率保留下来。     

利用ISSR分子标记构建濒危植物水青树核心种质

基于全国26个居群的174份水青树Tetracentron sinense种质,利用14条ISSR引物,采用UPGMA聚类法进行多次逐步聚类,利用三种取样策略(随机取样策略、位点优先取样策略和偏离度取样策略)构建初始核心种质,并将各遗传多样性指标进行比较分析,从而确定构建水青树核心种质的最佳方法。利用14条ISSR引物扩增出180个条带,其观测等位基因数(Na)、有效等位基因数(Ne)、Nei’s基因多样性指数(H)与Shannon信息指数(I)分别为1.6944、1.3912、0.2321和0.3509,说明水青树具有较低的遗传多样性。采用位点优先取样策略构建的核心种质各遗传多样性指数均大于随机取样策略和偏离度取样策略。利用位点优先取样策略构建了78 份核心种质资源,保留了44.83%原种质样品,遗传多样性指数Na、Ne、H和I的保留率分别为98.69%、100.01%、99.27%和98.67%,比较完好地保留了原种质的遗传多样性和遗传变异。因此,位点优先取样策略是构建水青树核心种质的最佳取样策略。     

Effects of multiple yeast rad3 mutant alleles on UV sensitivity, mutability, and mitotic recombination.

A yeast strain was constructed that had a disruption of the chromosomal RAD3 gene and carried a series of centromeric plasmids with defined mutations in this gene. Using this isogenic collection, we examined sensitivity to UV radiation, spontaneous and UV radiation-induced mutagenesis, and mitotic recombination. Several alleles resulted in a marked increase in UV sensitivity. Most of these alleles were found to carry mutations located in consensus motifs for DNA helicases. Other alleles caused a modest or no increase in UV sensitivity and carried mutations in regions of the Rad3 polypeptide that are apparently not conserved. This correlation suggests that the DNA helicase activity of Rad3 protein is required for nucleotide excision repair of DNA. Some rad3 alleles conferred a marked increase in the frequency of spontaneous mutagenesis, including nonsuppressor reversion of the lys2-1 ochre mutation. These alleles also showed a good correlation with conserved DNA helicase domains, suggesting that the Rad3 DNA helicase also plays a role in the fidelity of DNA synthesis or postreplicative mismatch correction. Several rad3 mutator alleles also resulted in increased levels of mitotic recombination. Increased spontaneous mutagenesis and mitotic recombination are characteristic features of the Rem- phenotype. However, in contrast to the prototypic Rem- phenotype, the rad3 mutator alleles identified in this study did not confer inviability in the presence of mutations in the RAD50 or RAD52 gene required for strand break repair of DNA.     

Spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7)

Spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) is a progressive autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by cerebellar ataxia associated with progressive macular dystrophy. The disease affects primarily the cerebellum and the retina, but also many other CNS structures as the disease progresses. SCA7 is caused by expansion of an unstable trinucleotide CAG repeat encoding a polyglutamine tract in the corresponding protein, ataxin-7. Normal SCA7 alleles contain 4-35 CAG repeats, whereas pathological alleles contain from 36-306 CAG repeats. SCA7 has a number of features in common with other diseases with polyglutamine expansions: (i) the appearance of clinical symptoms above a threshold number of CAG repeats (>35); (ii) a correlation between the size of the expansion and the rate of progression of the disease: the larger the repeat, the faster the progression; (iii) instability of the repeat sequence (approximately 12 CAG/transmission) that accounts for the marked anticipation of approximately 20 years/generation. The CAG repeat sequence is particularly unstable and de novo mutations can occur during paternal transmissions of intermediate size alleles (28-35 CAG repeats). This can explain the persistence of the disease in spite of the anticipation that should have resulted in its extinction.     

The evaluation of FHB resistance QTLs introgressed into elite Canadian spring wheat germplasm

FHB resistance QTL alleles from Nyuubai, Sumai-3, and Wuhan-1 were evaluated for their effect on Fusarium head blight (FHB) index, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation, plant height, anthesis date, and numerous grain quality traits in three elite Canadian spring wheat backgrounds. The three FHB resistance parameters were negatively correlated with plant height in the three populations. The Wuhan-1 4B resistance allele was the most effective resistance allele but was associated with a 9.3 cm increase in plant height. The Wuhan-1 2D, Nyuubai 3BSc, Sumai-3 3BSc, Nyuubai 5AS, and Sumai-3 5AS alleles were also effective FHB resistance alleles in these populations. The Nyuubai and Sumai-3 3BS alleles were the least effective of the FHB resistance alleles in the FHB nursery tests. The Sumai-3 5AS resistance allele was significantly associated with reduced grain protein content, while the same trend was observed for the Nyuubai 5AS resistance allele but was not significant. FHB resistance tended to increase with more FHB resistance alleles introgressed into the elite genetic background, which suggested that marker-assisted selection (MAS) will prove useful for improving FHB resistance in Canadian germplasm.     

Iminoxyle Radical with Isocyanide as a Spin Label for Haemoproteins

BULMER¹ has analysed data on multiple allelic series of genes determining enzymes and has shown that if the alleles are arranged in order of electrophoretic mobility, there is a marked tendency for the rare alleles to occur at the beginning or the end of a sequence and for the common alleles to occur in the middle of a sequence.