Multiple distinct evolutionary mechanisms govern the dynamics of selfish mitochondrial genomes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Cells possess multiple mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies, which undergo semi-autonomous replication and stochastic inheritance. This enables mutant mtDNA variants to arise and selfishly compete with cooperative (wildtype) mtDNA. Selfish mitochondrial genomes are subject to selection at different levels: they compete against wildtype mtDNA directly within hosts and indirectly through organism-level selection. However, determining the relative contributions of selection at different levels has proven challenging. We overcome this challenge by combining mathematical modeling with experiments designed to isolate the levels of selection. Applying this approach to many selfish mitochondrial genotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans reveals an unexpected diversity of evolutionary mechanisms. Some mutant

SUBMITTER: Gitschlag BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11413162 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature