Search results for "SEL"
showing 10 items of 14031 documents
The influence of space and time on the evolution of altruistic defence: the case of ant slave rebellion.
2016
How can antiparasite defence traits evolve even if they do not directly benefit their carriers? An example of such an indirect defence is rebellion of enslaved Temnothorax longispinosus ant workers against their social parasite Temnothorax americanus, a slavemaking ant. Ant slaves have been observed to kill their oppressors' offspring, a behaviour from which the sterile slaves cannot profit directly. Parasite brood killing could, however, reduce raiding pressure on related host colonies nearby. We analyse with extensive computer simulations for the Temnothorax slavemaker system under what conditions a hypothetical rebel allele could invade a host population, and in particular, how host-para…
The effect of RNA substitution models on viroid and RNA virus phylogenies.
2018
Abstract Many viroids and RNA viruses have genomes that exhibit secondary structure, with paired nucleotides forming stems and loops. Such structures violate a key assumption of most methods of phylogenetic reconstruction, that sequence change is independent among sites. However, phylogenetic analyses of these transmissible agents rarely use evolutionary models that account for RNA secondary structure. Here, we assess the effect of using RNA-specific nucleotide substitution models on the phylogenetic inference of viroids and RNA viruses. We obtained data sets comprising full-genome nucleotide sequences from six viroid and ten single-stranded RNA virus species. For each alignment, we inferre…
Citrus rootstock breeding: response of four allotetraploid somatic hybrids to Citrus tristeza virus induced infections
2018
Four allotetraploid somatic hybrids of citrus, with potential for rootstock improvement, have been evaluated for their response to Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) infection. CTV is the most important viral pathogen affecting citrus production worldwide. Somatic combinations of ‘Milam’ lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.) + Sour orange (C. aurantium L Osb.), Calamondin (C. madurensis Lour.) + ‘Keen’ sour orange (C. aurantium L.), Calamondin + ‘Femminello‘ lemon (C. limon L. Burm. F.) and Cleopatra mandarin (C. reshni Hort. ex Tan.) + ‘Femminello’ lemon, were studied. Plants were grafted with CTV-infected “Valencia” sweet orange budwood. Two different CTV strains collected in Sicily, considered as “mild…
Low but contrasting neutral genetic differentiation shaped by winter temperature in European great tits.
2016
Gene flow is usually thought to reduce genetic divergence and impede local adaptation by homogenising gene pools between populations. However, evidence for local adaptation and phenotypic differentiation in highly mobile species, experiencing high levels of gene flow, is emerging. Assessing population genetic structure at different spatial scales is thus a crucial step towards understanding mechanisms underlying intraspecific differentiation and diversification. Here, we studied the population genetic structure of a highly mobile species - the great tit Parus major - at different spatial scales. We analysed 884 individuals from 30 sites across Europe including 10 close-by sites (< 50 km), u…
Expression properties exhibit correlated patterns with the fate of duplicated genes, their divergence, and transcriptional plasticity in Saccharomyco…
2017
Gene duplication is an important source of novelties and genome complexity. What genes are preserved as duplicated through long evolutionary times can shape the evolution of innovations. Identifying factors that influence gene duplicability is therefore an important aim in evolutionary biology. Here, we show that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the levels of gene expression correlate with gene duplicability, its divergence, and transcriptional plasticity. Genes that were highly expressed before duplication are more likely to be preserved as duplicates for longer evolutionary times and wider phylogenetic ranges than genes that were lowly expressed. Duplicates with higher expression lev…
Estimating the genetic diversity and structure ofQuercus trojanaWebb populations in Italy by SSRs: implications for management and conservation
2017
Studying the genetic diversity and structure of the current forest populations is essential for evaluating the ability to survive to future biotic and abiotic changes and planning conservation strategies. Quercus trojana is an eastern Mediterranean tree species with a fragmented distribution range, and its westernmost outposts are located in southern Italy. The demand for timber and cropland over the centuries has severely reduced it s occurrence in this part of the range. We assessed the genetic diversity and structure of the extant Italian populations of Q. trojana and derived conservation guidelines. A total of 322 samples were genotyped with six polymorphic nuclear microsatellite marker…
The evolution of colour pattern complexity: selection for conspicuousness favours contrasting within-body colour combinations in lizards.
2015
Many animals display complex colour patterns that comprise several adjacent, often contrasting colour patches. Combining patches of complementary colours increases the overall conspicuousness of the complex pattern, enhancing signal detection. Therefore, selection for conspicuousness may act not only on the design of single colour patches, but also on their combination. Contrasting long- and short-wavelength colour patches are located on the ventral and lateral surfaces of many lacertid lizards. As the combination of long- and short-wavelength-based colours generates local chromatic contrast, we hypothesized that selection may favour the co-occurrence of lateral and ventral contrasting patc…
Selection of indigenous yeast strains for the production of sparkling wines from native Apulian grape varieties.
2018
We report the first polyphasic characterization of native Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to select candidate strains for the design of starter cultures tailored for Apulian sparkling wines obtained from local grape variety. In addition, it is the first survey in our region that propose the selection of autochthonous starter cultures for sparkling wine i) including a preliminary tailored genotypic and technological screening, and ii) monitoring analytical contribution during secondary fermentation in terms of volatile compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, we exploit the potential contribute of autochthonous cultures throughout the productive chain, including the possible improvement of base wine…
Postmating–prezygotic isolation between two allopatric populations of Drosophila montana: fertilisation success differs under sperm competition
2016
This study was funded by the Academy of Finland (grant 250999 to O. A.-H.). Postmating but prezygotic (PMPZ) interactions are increasingly recognized as a potentially important early-stage barrier in the evolution of reproductive isolation. A recent study described a potential example between populations of the same species: single matings between Drosophila montana populations resulted in differential fertilisation success because of the inability of sperm from one population (Vancouver) to penetrate the eggs of the other population (Colorado). As the natural mating system of D. montana is polyandrous (females remate rapidly), we set up double matings of all possible crosses between the sa…
Little parallelism in genomic signatures of local adaptation in two sympatric, cryptic sister species.
2020
Species living in sympatry and sharing a similar niche often express parallel phenotypes as a response to similar selection pressures. The degree of parallelism within underlying genomic levels is often unexplored, but can give insight into the mechanisms of natural selection and adaptation. Here, we use multi-dimensional genomic associations to assess the basis of local and climate adaptation in two sympatric, cryptic Crematogaster levior ant species along a climate gradient. Additionally, we investigate the genomic basis of chemical communication in both species. Communication in insects is mainly mediated by cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), which also protect against water loss and, hence,…