The goal is this proposal is to understand the effect of a cytoplasmic endosymbiont, Wolbachia sp, a member of the alpha subdivision of the Proteobacteria, on the evolutionary genetics of its host, the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum. Members of the Proteobacteria, taxonomically closely related to Wolbachia, are pathogenic in humans and other mammals. The Wolbachia has several effects on its host: (1) it causes reproductive incompatibility between infected males and noninfected females; (2) its enhances the post-copulatory fertility of infected males when competing with uninfected males; and, (3) it causes a sex ratio bias favoring females in some host populations. All three effects accelerate the rate of spread of the microorganism through the host population. The advantage to the sperm of infected males has important effects on the rate of decay of cyto-nuclear disequilibria and can result in very complex dynamics for disequilibria associated with X-linked host nuclear genes. Sex ratio distortion will further complicate the dynamics. Host populations resistant to the incompatibility effect have been discovered. These populations may be resistant because of genetic changes in the Wolbachia, in the host, or both. Understanding the genetic mechanism of this resistance is one of the key goals of the proposed empirical research. The proposed research will use a combination of theoretical population genetic models and empirical laboratory experiments to further our understanding of genetic and evolutionary effects of such microorganisms on their hosts.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01GM050355-02
Application #
3734991
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Type
DUNS #
225410919
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Yi, S; Charlesworth, B (2000) Contrasting patterns of molecular evolution of the genes on the new and old sex chromosomes of Drosophila miranda. Mol Biol Evol 17:703-17
McAllister, B F; Charlesworth, B (1999) Reduced sequence variability on the Neo-Y chromosome of Drosophila americana americana. Genetics 153:221-33
Charlesworth, D; Liu, F L; Zhang, L (1998) The evolution of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene family by loss of introns in plants of the genus Leavenworthia (Brassicaceae). Mol Biol Evol 15:552-9
Liu, F; Zhang, L; Charlesworth, D (1998) Genetic diversity in Leavenworthia populations with different inbreeding levels. Proc Biol Sci 265:293-301
Charlesworth, D; Yang, Z (1998) Allozyme diversity in Leavenworthia populations with different inbreeding levels. Heredity 81 ( Pt 4):453-61
Zeng, L W; Comeron, J M; Chen, B et al. (1998) The molecular clock revisited: the rate of synonymous vs. replacement change in Drosophila. Genetica 102-103:369-82
Bergelson, J; Stahl, E; Dudek, S et al. (1998) Genetic variation within and among populations of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics 148:1311-23
Coyne, J A; Simeonidis, S; Rooney, P (1998) Relative paucity of genes causing inviability in hybrids between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. Genetics 150:1091-103
Coyne, J A; Charlesworth, B (1997) Genetics of a pheromonal difference affecting sexual isolation between Drosophila mauritiana and D. sechellia. Genetics 145:1015-30
Charlesworth, B; Nordborg, M; Charlesworth, D (1997) The effects of local selection, balanced polymorphism and background selection on equilibrium patterns of genetic diversity in subdivided populations. Genet Res 70:155-74

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