Reproductive Incompatibility Research Articles

The dynamic relationship between polyandry and selfish genetic elements

Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes and bacteria, and make up a large part of the genome. They frequently target sperm to increase their transmission success, but these manipulations are often associated with reduced male fertility. Low fertility of SGE-carrying males is suggested to promote polyandry as a female strategy to bias paternity against male carriers. Support for this hypothesis is found in several taxa, where SGE-carrying males have reduced sperm competitive ability. In contrast, when SGEs give rise to reproductive incompatibilities between SGE-carrying males and females, polyandry is not necessarily favoured, irrespective of the detrimental impact on male fertility. This is due to the frequency-dependent nature of these incompatibilities, because they will decrease in the population as the frequency of SGEs increases. However, reduced fertility of SGE-carrying males can prevent the successful population invasion of SGEs. In addition, SGEs can directly influence male and female mating behaviour, mating rates and reproductive traits (e.g. female reproductive tract length and male sperm). This reveals a potent and dynamic interaction between SGEs and polyandry highlighting the potential to generate sexual selection and conflict, but also indicates that polyandry can promote harmony within the genome by undermining the spread of SGEs.

Indirect evolution of hybrid lethality due to linkage with selected locus in Mimulus guttatus.

Author SummaryAdaptive evolution by natural selection is the primary force generating biological diversity. A critical question is whether the evolution of hybrid incompatibility, which is essential for the maintenance of species diversity, is caused by adaptive evolution. In this article, we investigate one of the most widely cited examples of ecological divergence driving the evolution of reproductive incompatibility, the strong association between hybrid lethality and copper tolerance in a copper mine population of the wildflower Mimulus guttatus. Hybrid lethality and tolerance of high levels of copper co-segregate as a single Mendelian locus. While copper tolerance and hybrid lethality are nearly universal in the mine population at Copperopolis, California, they are absent from adjacent off-mine populations, suggesting that reproductive isolation evolved rapidly as a pleiotropic by-product of recent adaptation to the mine environment. We find that copper tolerance and hybrid lethality are controlled by distinct loci, in tight genetic linkage. We also demonstrate that this genomic region has experienced strong recent selection and conclude that ecological selection for copper tolerance indirectly caused the neighboring hybrid lethality allele to hitchhike to high frequency. To our knowledge, this is the first case to demonstrate that reproductive isolation factors can evolve as an incidental by-product of adaptation to novel environments through genetic hitchhiking.

Rapid Formation of Reproductive Isolation between Two Populations of Side-Blotched Lizards, Uta stansburiana

Determining the factors that give rise to reproductive isolation is critical for understanding how species form. Observing reproductive isolation between closely related populations is especially interesting because it can show the factors initially involved in species formation. We studied two phenotypically different populations of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana), which diverged less than 22,500 years ago according to geologic evidence. The lava flow population has dark dorsal coloration for crypsis and is dimorphic for throat coloration used for signaling male mating type. The off-lava population has light dorsal coloration and is trimorphic for throat coloration. We tested whether there was reproductive isolation between these two populations in order to understand the factors that maintain the phenotypic differences between these populations. Our genetic crosses revealed evidence of reproductive incompatibilities because females from the dimorphic lava population produced fewer fertilized eggs and more unfertilized eggs when mated outside their population. In addition, male morphs varied in their reproductive compatibility because females from both populations produced fewer fertilized eggs and fewer clutches with orange-throated males from outside their population. The reproductive incompatibilities observed between the populations suggest that cryptic female choice of sperm may act as a post-mating, prezygotic barrier that contributes to the rapid formation of new species.

Influence of the Male Ejaculate on Post-Mating Prezygotic Barriers in Field Crickets

Post-copulatory interactions between males and females involve highly coordinated, complex traits that are often rapidly evolving and divergent between species. Failure to produce and deposit eggs may be a common post-mating prezygotic barrier, yet little is known about what prevents the induction of egg-laying between species. The field crickets, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus are isolated by a one-way reproductive incompatibility; G. pennsylvanicus males fail to fertilize G. firmus eggs or to induce normal egg-laying in G. firmus females. We use experimental crosses to elucidate the role of accessory gland-derived vs. testis-derived components of the G. firmus male ejaculate on egg-laying in conspecific and heterospecific crosses. Using surgical castrations to create ‘spermless’ males that transfer only seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) we test whether G. firmus male SFPs can induce egg-laying in conspecific crosses and rescue egg-laying in crosses between G. pennsylvanicus males and G. firmus females. We find G. firmus SFPs induce only a small short-term egg-laying response and that SFPs alone cannot explain the normal induction of egg-laying. Gryllus firmus SFPs also do not rescue the heterospecific cross. Testis-derived components, such as sperm or prostaglandins, most likely stimulate egg-laying or act as transporters for SFPs to targets in the female reproductive tract. These results highlight the utility of experimental approaches for investigating the phenotypes that act as barriers between species and suggest that future work on the molecular basis of the one-way incompatibility between G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus should focus on divergent testis-derived compounds or proteins in addition to SFPs.

Resistance to Aphids, Late Blight and Viruses in Somatic Fusions and Crosses of Solanum tuberosum L. and Solanum bulbocastanum Dun

Solanum bulbocastanum Dun. is a wild potato species resistant to late blight, Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas). Because of its reproductive incompatibility with S. tuberosum, S. bulbocastanum aphid resistance has been under-realized in potato breeding. Solanum tuberosum + S. bulbocastanum somatic fusions created for introgression of late blight resistance and subsequently backcrossed to cultivated potato were screened to determine if aphid resistance, virus resistance, and late blight resistance could be concurrently incorporated. Among the 63 lines screened, nine expressed resistance to green peach aphid and five lines expressed resistance to potato aphid. Virus resistance field screenings over 4 years indicated 29 lines were resistant to PVY and five were resistant to PLRV. Of those, two were resistant to both PVY and PLRV. Lines were tested with markers linked to R genes for resistance to PVY as well as the marker for late blight resistance. Line K7G-319 has pyramided M. persicae, M. euphorbiae, and PVY resistance and line K7G-329 has pyramided M. persicae, M. euphorbiae, PVY and late blight resistance into one clone, which can now be used as a breeding source for multiple resistance factors. This study has shown that somatic hybridization can be used to introgress aphid resistance from wild potato species that are sexually incompatible with S. tuberosum.

Genetic diversity and relationships among species of the genus Thymus L. (section Serpyllum)

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to assess genetic relations of 32 Thymus populations belonging to seven species of genus Thymus, section Serpyllum, from Serbia. The collected species belong to three subsections: (1) Alternantes Klokov (Th. pulegioides L.), (2) Isolepides (Borbás) Halácsy (Th. glabrescens Willd., Th. marschallianus Willd., Th. pannonicus All.), and (3) Pseudomarginati (Braun ex Borbás) Jalas (Th. balcanus Borbás, Th. moesiacus Velen., Th. praecox Opiz). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most of the genetic diversity was attributable to differences among individuals within populations, while the remaining variability was almost equally distributed among species and among populations within species. The pairwise AMOVA analyses further showed that species differentiation was significant in all cases, except between Th. marschallianus and Th. pannonicus. All the individuals belonging to Th. pulegioides (subsection Alternantes) formed a well-supported clade, the most divergent from all other species in this study. This genetic differentiation of Th. pulegioides is supported by its morphological features because it is the only analyzed taxon having hairs only on the stem edges, and can easily be recognized by this character. According to our results, the subsection Isolepides is polyphyletic. Th. glabrescens is clearly separated from the other two species of this subsection (Th. marschallianus, Th. pannonicus). Although morphologically distinguishable by leaf indumentum, individuals belonging to Th. marschallianus and Th. pannonicus could not be differentiated at the molecular level. The species belonging to subsection Pseudomarginati formed a monophyletic clade, although not supported by high bootstrap value. The clade is further divided into three well-supported clades representing distinct species (Th. balcanus, Th. praecox and Th. moesiacus). In our study, the AFLP markers demonstrated that they could be suitable for studying complex genetic relationships, including frequent interspecies hybridization events, although strict reticulate evolutionary history could not be determined. All the population genetic parameters in the section Serpyllum suggest that the reproductive incompatibility between the species is very weak, which indicates a strong reticulating system, especially in the case when two or more species occur sympatrically.

Genetics and evolution of hybrid male sterility in house mice.

Comparative genetic mapping provides insights into the evolution of the reproductive barriers that separate closely related species. This approach has been used to document the accumulation of reproductive incompatibilities over time, but has only been applied to a few taxa. House mice offer a powerful system to reconstruct the evolution of reproductive isolation between multiple subspecies pairs. However, studies of the primary reproductive barrier in house mice-hybrid male sterility-have been restricted to a single subspecies pair: Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus. To provide a more complete characterization of reproductive isolation in house mice, we conducted an F(2) intercross between wild-derived inbred strains from Mus musculus castaneus and M. m. domesticus. We identified autosomal and X-linked QTL associated with a range of hybrid male sterility phenotypes, including testis weight, sperm density, and sperm morphology. The pseudoautosomal region (PAR) was strongly associated with hybrid sterility phenotypes when heterozygous. We compared QTL found in this cross with QTL identified in a previous F(2) intercross between M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus and found three shared autosomal QTL. Most QTL were not shared, demonstrating that the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility largely differs between these closely related subspecies pairs. These results lay the groundwork for identifying genes responsible for the early stages of speciation in house mice.

The tempo and modes of evolution of reproductive isolation in fungi

Reproductive isolation is an essential ingredient of speciation, and much has been learned in recent years about the evolution of reproductive isolation and the genetics of reproductive barriers in animals and plants. Fungi have been neglected on these aspects, despite being tractable model eukaryotes. Here, we used a model fitting approach to look at the importance of different barriers to gene flow to explain the decrease of reproductive compatibility with genetic distance in fungi. We found support for the occurrence of reinforcement in the presyngamy compatibility among basidiomycetes. In contrast, no evidence for reinforcement was detected in ascomycetes, concurring with the idea that host/habitat adaptation in this group can pleiotropically cause reproductive isolation. We found no evidence of a snowballing accumulation of postsyngamic reproductive incompatibilities in either ascomycetes or the complex of anther smut fungi. Together with previous studies, our results suggest that ecologically based barriers to gene flow and karyotypic differences may have an important role in hybrid inviability and sterility in fungi. Interestingly, hybrid sterility appeared to evolve faster than hybrid inviability in fungi.

Sympatric Speciation in the Post “Modern Synthesis” Era of Evolutionary Biology

Sympatric speciation is among the most controversial and challenging concepts in evolution. There are a multitude of definitions of speciation alone, and when combined with the biogeographic concept of sympatric range overlap, consensus on what sympatric speciation is, whether it happens, and its importance, is even more difficult to achieve. Providing the basis upon which to define and judge sympatric speciation, the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis (Huxley in Evolution: the modern synthesis. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1942) led to the conclusion that sympatric speciation is an inconsequential process in the generation of species diversity. In the post Modern Synthesis era of evolutionary biology, the PCR revolution and associated accumulation of DNA sequence data from natural populations has led to a resurgence of interest in sympatric speciation, and more importantly, the role of natural selection in lineage diversification. Much effort is currently being devoted to elucidating the processes by which the constituents of an initially panmictic population can become reproductively isolated and evolve some level of reproductive incompatibility without the complete cessation of gene flow due to geographic barriers. The evolution of reproductive isolation solely due to natural selection is perhaps the most controversial manner by which sympatric speciation occurs, and it is that which we focus upon in this review. Mathematical model simulations indicate that even strict definitions of sympatric speciation are possible to satisfy, empirical data consistent with sympatric divergence are accumulating, but irrefutable evidence of sympatric speciation in natural populations remains elusive. Genomic investigations are advancing our ability to identify genetic patterns caused by natural selection, thereby advancing our understanding of the power of natural selection relative to gene flow. Overall, sympatric lineage divergence, especially at the sub-species level, may have led to a substantial portion of biodiversity.

Cardinium is associated with reproductive incompatibility in the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Cardinium, a bacterium from the Bacteroidetes group, is associated with reproductive manipulations such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, and feminization in some arthropod species. We, and others, have shown that Cardinium, but not Wolbachia, is an endosymbiont in some populations of Metaseiulus occidentalis, a phytoseiid mite that is an important predator of spider mite pests of agricultural crops. However, the precise biological effects that Cardinium may have on M. occidentalis remain unclear. In this study we show, in two sets of crosses between different colonies of Cardinium-free (C−) M. occidentalis females and Cardinium-containing (C+) males, that fecundity was reduced in parental females, F1 progeny survival rates were reduced, and fewer female progeny were produced when compared to the reciprocal and control crosses. There were no differences in these attributes in the reciprocal and two control crosses. Cardinium was transmitted maternally but there was no observed paternal transmission. Finally, Cardinium did not cause asexual (thelytoky) reproduction in M. occidentalis. Thus, Cardinium is associated with nonreciprocal reproductive incompatibility in M. occidentalis and our results support the hypothesis that Cardinium is a reproductive parasite in this agriculturally important predator. Cardinium may therefore affect the evolution and ecology of M. occidentalis and biological control efforts using this mite.

Multifarious roles of sialic acids in immunity

Sialic acids are a diverse family of monosaccharides widely expressed on all cell surfaces of vertebrates and so-called "higher" invertebrates, and on certain bacteria that interact with vertebrates. This overview surveys examples of biological roles of sialic acids in immunity, with emphasis on an evolutionary perspective. Given the breadth of the subject, the treatment of individual topics is brief. Subjects discussed include biophysical effects regulation of factor H; modulation of leukocyte trafficking via selectins; Siglecs in immune cell activation; sialic acids as ligands for microbes; impact of microbial and endogenous sialidases on immune cell responses; pathogen molecular mimicry of host sialic acids; Siglec recognition of sialylated pathogens; bacteriophage recognition of microbial sialic acids; polysialic acid modulation of immune cells; sialic acids as pathogen decoys or biological masks; modulation of immunity by sialic acid O-acetylation; sialic acids as antigens and xeno-autoantigens; antisialoglycan antibodies in reproductive incompatibility; and sialic-acid-based blood groups.

Absence of Wolbachia in the workers of Asian honeybee, Apis cerana indica

Wolbachia is a group of cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that can cause reproductive alterations in arthropods including parthenogenesis, reproductive incompatibility and feminization of genetic males. Wolbachia are found in a well studied group of insects, but there is a lack of data on their distribution. Workers of the honeybee sub species Apis cerana indica, collected from different parts of Karnataka, India were screened by PCR for Wolbachia, because this endosymbiont has been implicated in causing thelytoky in other Hymenoptera. In the present communication, we report the absence of Wolbachia endosymbiont in the workers of honeybee collected from different geographic locations of Karnataka using Wolbachia specific 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction enzymes.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v5i1.5230 International Journal of Life Sciences Vol.5(1) 2011 19-24

An integrative morphological and molecular diagnostics for Typhlodromus pyri (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Tixier, M‐S., Okassa, M. & Kreiter, S. (2011). An integrative morphological and molecular diagnostics for Typhlodromus pyri (Acari: Phytoseiidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 68–78.Phytoseiidae species are predators used in biological control programmes to limit mite pests out‐breaks in the world. Specific diagnostic is thus very important to ensure the success of pest management. This study aims to determine the species status of populations within the main species in vineyards and orchards: Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri, considering four molecular markers (COI, Cytb mtDNAs, 12SrRNA, ITSS) and 34 morphometrical characters. With the three mitochondrial DNA fragments considered, unexpected high genetic distances were observed between two groups, whereas both nuclear DNA and morphological analyses did not show such distinction. Furthermore, the GYMC and the 4 × rule tests emphasised the existence of a single species. Similarly, cross‐breeding experiments between specimens of the two groups showed no reproductive incompatibility. Therefore, despite the great intraspecific variation emphasised by the three mtDNA markers, we conclude that all the specimens considered belong to the same species. The present study clearly underlines the difficulty to conclude on species status using only mt markers and genetic distances, and stresses the necessity to apply multiple approaches for species definition. It also shows the confidence of the morphology for delineating this species.

Sexual selection by female immunity against paternal antigens can fix loss of function alleles

Humans lack the common mammalian cell surface molecule N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) due to a CMAH gene inactivation, which occurred approximately three million years ago. Modern humans produce antibodies specific for Neu5Gc. We hypothesized that anti-Neu5Gc antibodies could enter the female reproductive tract and target Neu5Gc-positive sperm or fetal tissues, reducing reproductive compatibility. Indeed, female mice with a human-like Cmah(-/-) mutation and immunized to express anti-Neu5Gc antibodies show lower fertility with Neu5Gc-positive males, due to prezygotic incompatibilities. Human anti-Neu5Gc antibodies are also capable of targeting paternally derived antigens and mediate cytotoxicity against Neu5Gc-bearing chimpanzee sperm in vitro. Models of populations polymorphic for such antigens show that reproductive incompatibility by female immunity can drive loss-of-function alleles to fixation from moderate initial frequencies. Initially, the loss of a cell-surface antigen can occur due to drift in isolated populations or when natural selection favors the loss of a receptor exploited by pathogens, subsequently the same loss-of-function allele can come under sexual selection because it avoids being targeted by the female immune system. Thus, we provide evidence of a link between sexual selection and immune function: Antigenicity in females can select against foreign paternal antigens on sperm and rapidly fix loss-of-function alleles. Similar circumstances existed when the CMAH null allele was polymorphic in ancestral hominins, just before the divergence of Homo from australopithecines.

Do density-driven mating system differences explain reproductive incompatibilities between populations of a placental fish?

Matrotrophy, the provisioning of embryos between fertilization and birth, creates the potential for conflict between mothers and embryos over the level of maternal investment. This conflict is predicted to drive the evolution of reproductive isolation between populations with different mating systems. In this study, we examine whether density-driven mating system differences explain the patterns of asymmetric reproductive isolation observed in previous studies involving four populations of the matrotrophic least killifish, Heterandria formosa. Minimum sire number reconstructions suggested that two populations characterized by low densities had lower levels of concurrent multiple paternity than two populations characterized by high densities. However, low levels of genetic variation in the low-density populations greatly reduced our probability of detecting multiple mating in them. Once we took the lower level of genetic variation into account in our estimations, high levels of multiple paternity appeared the rule in all four populations. In the population where we had the greatest power of detecting multiple mating, we found that multiple paternity in H.formosa typically involves multiple sires contributing to offspring within the same brood instead of different fathers contributing to distinct, simultaneously provisioned broods. Paternity was often skewed towards one sire. Our results suggest that differences between H.formosa populations in the levels of multiple paternity are not sufficient to explain the reproductive isolation seen in previous studies. We suggest that other influences on maternal-foetal conflict may contribute to the pattern of reproductive isolation observed previously. Alternatively, the asymmetric reproductive isolation seen in previous studies might reflect the disruption of maternal-foetal coadaptation.

Effects of Wolbachia on fitness of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera; Culicidae)

Wolbachia are α-proteobacteria that were first reported in Culex pipiens mosquitoes early in the twentieth century. Since then, the effect of Wolbachia on their host’s reproduction has drawn attention and has been increasingly investigated. Given the extreme complexity of this interaction, new study cases are welcomed to enhance its understanding. The present work addressed the influence of Wolbachia on Cx. quinquefasciatus, the cosmopolitan member of the Cx. pipiens complex.Samples of a Cx. quinquefasciatus colony (wPip+) originated from individuals naturally infected by Wolbachiapipientis B strain, were cured with tetracycline, yielding a Wolbachia-free colony (wPip−). Both the presence of bacteria and the efficiency of bacterial elimination were checked by PCR of the wsp gene.Total reproductive unidirectional incompatibility occurred when wPip− females were crossed with wPip+ males, whereas the other three types of reciprocal crosses were viable. Reproductive aspects were also comparatively evaluated between colonies. Concerning oviposition time during the first gonotrophic cycle, wPip+ females developed and laid eggs earlier than did wPip− females. Reproductive fitness was higher among wPip− than wPip+ females regarding the following parameters: fertility: egg rafts/fed females; fecundity: eggs/raft, and viability: larvae/eggs. Conversely, longevity of wPip− females was lower.Summarising, although the infected mosquitoes have the advantage of a higher longevity, they have lower reproductive fitness. Our results are partly distinct from all other reports on Aedes and Culex mosquitoes previously published.

Genetic and geographic structure of an insect resistant and a susceptible type of Barbarea vulgaris in western Europe

Interactions between herbivores and plants are believed to have been important drivers of biodiversity. However, to drive an initial resistance divergence into different evolutionary lineages and taxa, these interactions have probably been embedded in other processes of divergence, like allopatric isolation. The cruciferous plant Barbarea vulgaris ssp. arcuata occurs in Denmark in two types: one (G) is resistant to most genotypes of the flea beetle Phyllotreta nemorum, the other (P) is susceptible. The two types additionally differ in hairiness and glucosinolates, they are genetically strongly divergent, and reproduction between them is reduced. To determine whether the two plant types and their resistance polymorphisms are also present outside Denmark, and to understand how they have evolved, we analysed 33 European populations of B. vulgaris for resistance, hairiness, glucosinolates, and microsatellite markers. Most populations had traits indicative of the G type, including the already characterized Danish G populations. In contrast, only two populations outside Denmark were of the P type; one from northern Sweden and one from Estonia. Genetically, the G populations formed two genetic clusters that were strongly divergent from a genetic cluster containing P populations. A fourth genetic cluster, which contained only a single population and no Danish plants, belonged morphologically to the subspecies ssp. vulgaris. The divergence found in Denmark between a resistant G and a susceptible P type is thus part of a larger divergence in Europe. Judging from the trait correlations, genetic divergence, and partial reproductive incompatibility, the plant types must have been isolated from each other for quite some time. The two P populations outside Denmark came from the north and east, suggesting a more eastern distribution. If so, resistant and susceptible types could have diverged during the ice age and later met in Scandinavia. However, more samples from Eastern Europe are needed to clarify this.

The wMel Wolbachia strain blocks dengue and invades caged Aedes aegypti populations

Dengue fever is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans with more than 50 million cases estimated annually in more than 100 countries. Disturbingly, the geographic range of dengue is currently expanding and the severity of outbreaks is increasing. Control options for dengue are very limited and currently focus on reducing population abundance of the major mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. These strategies are failing to reduce dengue incidence in tropical communities and there is an urgent need for effective alternatives. It has been proposed that endosymbiotic bacterial Wolbachia infections of insects might be used in novel strategies for dengue control. For example, the wMelPop-CLA Wolbachia strain reduces the lifespan of adult A. aegypti mosquitoes in stably transinfected lines. This life-shortening phenotype was predicted to reduce the potential for dengue transmission. The recent discovery that several Wolbachia infections, including wMelPop-CLA, can also directly influence the susceptibility of insects to infection with a range of insect and human pathogens has markedly changed the potential for Wolbachia infections to control human diseases. Here we describe the successful transinfection of A. aegypti with the avirulent wMel strain of Wolbachia, which induces the reproductive phenotype cytoplasmic incompatibility with minimal apparent fitness costs and high maternal transmission, providing optimal phenotypic effects for invasion. Under semi-field conditions, the wMel strain increased from an initial starting frequency of 0.65 to near fixation within a few generations, invading A. aegypti populations at an accelerated rate relative to trials with the wMelPop-CLA strain. We also show that wMel and wMelPop-CLA strains block transmission of dengue serotype 2 (DENV-2) in A. aegypti, forming the basis of a practical approach to dengue suppression.

The evolution of reproductive isolation in a simultaneous hermaphrodite, the freshwater snail Physa

BackgroundThe cosmopolitan freshwater snail Physa acuta has recently found widespread use as a model organism for the study of mating systems and reproductive allocation. Mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggest that Physa carolinae, recently described from the American southeast, is a sister species of P. acuta. The divergence of the acuta/carolinae ancestor from the more widespread P. pomilia appears to be somewhat older, and the split between a hypothetical acuta/carolinae/pomilia ancestor and P. gyrina appears older still.ResultsHere we report the results of no-choice mating experiments yielding no evidence of hybridization between gyrina and any of four other populations (pomilia, carolinae, Philadelphia acuta, or Charleston acuta), nor between pomilia and carolinae. Crosses between pomilia and both acuta populations yielded sterile F1 progeny with reduced viability, while crosses between carolinae and both acuta populations yielded sterile F1 hybrids of normal viability. A set of mate-choice tests also revealed significant sexual isolation between gyrina and all four of our other Physa populations, between pomilia and carolinae, and between pomilia and Charleston acuta, but not between pomilia and the acuta population from Philadelphia, nor between carolinae and either acuta population. These observations are consistent with the origin of hybrid sterility prior to hybrid inviability, and a hypothesis that speciation between pomilia and acuta may have been reinforced by selection for prezygotic reproductive isolation in sympatry.ConclusionsWe propose a two-factor model for the evolution of postzygotic reproductive incompatibility in this set of five Physa populations consistent with the Dobzhansky-Muller model of speciation, and a second two-factor model for the evolution of sexual incompatibility. Under these models, species trees may be said to correspond with gene trees in American populations of the freshwater snail, Physa.

Insights into evolution and speciation in the red alga Bostrychia: 15 years of research

was the first genus in which a mitochon-drial marker was used for intraspecific red algal phylogeny, and the first for which a 3-genome phylogeny was undertak-en. The genus was the first red alga used to genetically show maternal plastid and mitochondria inheritance, and also to show correlation between cryptic species (genetically divergent intraspecific lineages) and reproductive incompatibility. The chemotaxonomic use, and physiological function of osmolytes, has also been extensively studied in