MATE AVAILABILITY AND FECUNDITY SELECTION IN MULTI-ALLELIC SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY SYSTEMS IN PLANTS

We investigate mate availability in different models of multiallelic self-incompatibility systems in mutation-selection-drift balance in finite populations. Substantial differences among self-incompatibility systems occur in average mate availability, and in variances of mate availability among individual plants. These differences are most pronounced in small populations in which low mate availability may reduce seed set in some types of sporophytic self-incompatibility. In cases where the pollination system causes a restriction in the number of pollen genotypes available to an individual plant, the fecundity of that plant depends on the availability of compatible pollen, which is determined by its genotype at the incompatibility locus. This leads to an additional component of selection acting on self-incompatibility systems, which we term “fecundity selection.” Fecundity selection increases the number of alleles maintained in finite populations and increases mate availability in small populations. The strength of fecundity selection is dependent on the type of self-incompatibility. In some cases, fecundity selection markedly alters the equilibrium dynamics of self-incompatibility alleles. We discuss the population genetic consequences of mate availability and fecundity selection in the contexts of conservation management of self-incompatible plant species and experimental investigations on self-incompatibility in natural populations.     

Chloroplast DNA variation and postglacial recolonization of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in Europe

We used chloroplast polymerase chain reaction-restriction-fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and chloroplast microsatellites to assess the structure of genetic variation and postglacial history across the entire natural range of the common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), a broad-leaved wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed European forest tree. A low level of polymorphism was observed, with only 12 haplotypes at four polymorphic microsatellites in 201 populations, and two PCR-RFLP haplotypes in a subset of 62 populations. The clear geographical pattern displayed by the five most common haplotypes was in agreement with glacial refugia for ash being located in Iberia, Italy, the eastern Alps and the Balkan Peninsula, as had been suggested from fossil pollen data. A low chloroplast DNA mutation rate, a low effective population size in glacial refugia related to ash's life history traits, as well as features of postglacial expansion were put forward to explain the low level of polymorphism. Differentiation among populations was high (GST= 0.89), reflecting poor mixing among recolonizing lineages. Therefore, the responsible factor for the highly homogeneous genetic pattern previously identified at nuclear microsatellites throughout western and central Europe (Heuertz et al. 2004) must have been efficient postglacial pollen flow. Further comparison of variation patterns at both marker systems revealed that nuclear microsatellites identified complex differentiation patterns in south-eastern Europe which remained undetected with chloroplast microsatellites. The results suggest that data from different markers should be combined in order to capture the most important genetic patterns in a species.     

Intriguing small-scale spatial distribution of chloropastic and nuclear diversity in the endangered plant Biscutella neustriaca (Brassicaceae)

Biscutella neustriaca is an isolated plant taxon with about three thousand known individuals distributed in several fragmented populations. Despite its status as an endangered plant subject to a European LIFE programme for its protection, no conclusive genetic analysis has been performed to help its conservation. We analysed the genetic variability and distribution of nuclear microsatellite markers in a large sample of the population, as well as of the MatK chloroplastic gene in a subsample. We showed, first, that both pollen and seed dispersal, as well as clonal reproduction are strongly limited, and the mating system is obligate outcrossing. Second, we detected two highly divergent chloroplast haplogroups, as well as two completely distinct nuclear gene pools suggesting an ancient isolation between two groups of populations. Intriguingly, a third group of populations appears to combine the nuclear gene pool of one group with the chloroplast haplotype of the other group, suggesting a more recent dramatic colonization and foundation event. Thanks to complementary geological and historical data, we propose a scenario for the evolutionary history of this metapopulation influenced by the dynamics of Seine meanders and human activities. Finally, we give some suggestions for future conservation actions.     

Balanced translocations among couples with two or more spontaneous abortions: Are males and females equally likely to be carriers?

Chromosome studies were performed on a series of 177 couples referred for genetic counseling following two or more spontaneous abortions to clarify the relationship between karyotype and fertility in males and females and to provide risk figures for genetic counseling. The results of these investigations, when combined with those in the literature, suggest that 2-3% of individuals in couples experiencing early fetal losses carry a balanced translocation and that this is not markedly influenced by the number of losses greater than two. Females are more likely than males to be the carrier, reflecting the fact that structural abnormalities of the chromosomes that are compatible with fertility in the female may be associated with sterility in the male. Karyotyping should be performed on both members of a couple following two spontaneous abortions and the products of conception should be studied whenever possible to begin to determine the biological basis of the association between parental rearrangement and fetal loss.     

Maintenance of Adaptive Dynamics and No Detectable Load in a Range-Edge Outcrossing Plant Population

During range expansion, edge populations are expected to face increased genetic drift, which in turn can alter and potentially compromise adaptive dynamics, preventing the removal of deleterious mutations and slowing down adaptation. Here, we contrast populations of the European subspecies Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea, which expanded its Northern range after the last glaciation. We document a sharp decline in effective population size in the range-edge population and observe that nonsynonymous variants segregate at higher frequencies. We detect a 4.9% excess of derived nonsynonymous variants per individual in the range-edge population, suggesting an increase of the genomic burden of deleterious mutations. Inference of the fitness effects of mutations and modeling of allele frequencies under the explicit demographic history of each population predicts a depletion of rare deleterious variants in the range-edge population, but an enrichment for fixed ones, consistent with the bottleneck effect. However, the demographic history of the range-edge population predicts a small net decrease in per-individual fitness. Consistent with this prediction, the range-edge population is not impaired in its growth and survival measured in a common garden experiment. We further observe that the allelic diversity at the self-incompatibility locus, which ensures strict outcrossing and evolves under negative frequency-dependent selection, has remained unchanged. Genomic footprints indicative of selective sweeps are broader in the Northern population but not less frequent. We conclude that the outcrossing species A. lyrata ssp. petraea shows a strong resilience to the effect of range expansion.     

Assessing population genetic structure of sorghum landraces from North-western Morocco using allozyme and microsatellite markers

 The level of genetic diversity and the population genetic structure of sorghum landraces from North-western Morocco have been investigated based on direct field-sampling using both allozyme and microsatellite markers. As expected, microsatellite markers showed a much higher degree of polymorphism than allozymes, but relative measures of genetic structure such as Wright’s inbreeding coefficient F _IS and Nei’s coefficient of genetic differentiation G _ST were similar for the two sets of markers. Substantial inbreeding was found to occur within fields, which confirms that sorghum is predominantly selfing under cultivation. Most of the genetic diversity in Moroccan landraces occurs within fields (more than 85%), as opposed to among fields or among regions, a result which contrasts to those of studies based on accessions from germplasm collections. It is suggested that individual fields of sorghum constitute valuable units of conservation in the context of in situ conservation practices. Received: 8 December 1998 / Accepted: 28 December 1998     

Nuclear microsatellites reveal contrasting patterns of genetic structure between western and southeastern European populations of the common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.)

To determine extant patterns of population genetic structure in common ash and gain insight into postglacial recolonization processes, we applied multilocus-based Bayesian approaches to data from 36 European populations genotyped at five nuclear microsatellite loci. We identified two contrasting patterns in terms of population genetic structure: (1) a large area from the British Isles to Lithuania throughout central Europe constituted effectively a single deme, whereas (2) strong genetic differentiation occurred over short distances in Sweden and southeastern Europe. Concomitant geographical variation was observed in estimates of allelic richness and genetic diversity, which were lowest in populations from southeastern Europe, that is, in regions close to putative ice age refuges, but high in western and central Europe, that is, in more recently recolonized areas. We suggest that in southeastern Europe, restricted postglacial gene flow caused by a rapid expansion of refuge populations in a mountainous topography is responsible for the observed strong genetic structure. In contrast, admixture of previously differentiated gene pools and high gene flow at the onset of postglacial recolonization of western and central Europe would have homogenized the genetic structure and raised the levels of genetic diversity above values in the refuges.     

Identification and mapping of six microdissected genomic DNA probes to the proximal region of mouse chromosome 1.

Six independent DNA probes, lambda Mm1C-150, lambda Mm1C-153, lambda Mm1C-156, lambda Mm1C-162, lambda Mm1C-163, and lambda Mm1C-165, have been isolated from a library of microdissected fragments from mouse chromosome 1, spanning cytogenetic bands C2 to C5. These DNA probes have been mapped by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with respect to 12 marker loci previously assigned to this portion of mouse chromosome 1, in a panel of 251 segregating Mus spretus x C57BL/6J interspecific backcross mice. The gene order and intergene distances were determined by segregation analysis to be centromere- lambda Mm1C-162-11.1 cM-Col3a1-8.8 cM-Len-2-2.6 cM-lambda Mm1C-163-1.6 cM-Fn-1-1.6 cM-Tp-1-0.8 cM-lambda Mm1C-165/Vil-0.4 cM-Inha-2.8 cM-lambda Mm1C-153-2.4 cM-lambda Mm1C-156-1.2 cM-Pax-3-5.6 cM-Akp-3-0.8 cM-Acrg-2.0 cM-Sag-0.5 cM-Col6a3-1.8 cM-lambda Mm1C-150-15.4 cM-Ren1,2. Four of these probes map within a chromosome 1 segment that is homologous to human chromosome 2q. Southern blotting analyses indicate that one of these anonymous probes, lambda Mm1C-165, detects DNA fragments highly conserved across species. These novel polymorphic probes should prove useful for linkage and physical mapping of this chromosomal region.