The genetic basis of incipient sexual isolation in Drosophila melanogaster.
Proc Biol Sci
; 291(2027): 20240672, 2024 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39045689
ABSTRACT
Speciation is a fundamental evolutionary process but the genetic changes accompanying speciation are difficult to determine since true species do not produce viable and fertile offspring. Partially reproductively isolated incipient species are useful for assessing genetic changes that occur prior to speciation. Drosophila melanogaster from Zimbabwe, Africa are partially sexually isolated from other D. melanogaster populations whose males have poor mating success with Zimbabwe females. We used the North American D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to show that there is significant genetic variation in mating success of DGRP males with Zimbabwe females, to map genetic variants and genes associated with variation in mating success and to determine whether mating success to Zimbabwe females is associated with other quantitative traits previously measured in the DGRP. Incipient sexual isolation is highly polygenic and associated with the common African inversion In(3R)K and the amount of the sex pheromone 5,9-heptacosadiene in DGRP females. We functionally validated the effect of eight candidate genes using RNA interference to provide testable hypotheses for future studies investigating the molecular genetic basis of incipient sexual isolation in D. melanogaster.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Drosophila melanogaster
/
Reproductive Isolation
Limits:
Animals
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Proc Biol Sci
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States
Country of publication:
United kingdom