Ephemeral Association Between Gene CG5762 and Hybrid Male Sterility in Drosophila Sibling Species

Interspecies divergence in regulatory pathways may result in hybrid male sterility (HMS) when dominance and epistatic interactions between alleles that are functional within one genome are disrupted in hybrid genomes. The identification of genes contributing to HMS and other hybrid dysfunctions is essential for understanding the origin of new species (speciation). Previously, we identified a panel of male-specific loci misexpressed in sterile male hybrids of Drosophila simulans and D. mauritiana relative to parental species. In the current work, we attempt to dissect the genetic associations between HMS and one of the genes, CG5762, a Drosophila-unique locus characterized by rapid sequence divergence within the genus, presumably driven by positive natural selection. CG5762 is underexpressed in sterile backcross males compared with their fertile brothers. In CG5762 heterozygotes, the D. mauritiana allele is consistently overexpressed on both the D. simulans and D. mauritiana backcross genomic background, suggesting a cis-acting regulation factor. There is a significant association between heterozygosity and HMS in hybrid males from early but not later backcross generations. Microsatellite markers spanning CG5762 fail to associate with HMS. These observations lead to a conclusion that CG5762 is not a causative factor of HMS. Although genetic linkage between CG5762 and a neighboring causative introgression cannot be ruled out, it seems that the pattern is most consistent with CG5762 participating in epistatic interactions that are disrupted in flies with HMS.