Functional constraints of <i>wtf</i> killer meiotic drivers.

ABSTRACT: Killer meiotic drivers are selfish DNA loci that sabotage the gametes that do not inherit them from a driver+/driver- heterozygote. These drivers often employ toxic proteins that target essential cellular functions to cause the destruction of driver- gametes. Identifying the mechanisms of drivers can expand our understanding of infertility and reveal novel insights about the cellular functions targeted by drivers. In this work, we explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the wtf family of killer meiotic drivers found in fission yeasts. Each wtf killer acts using a toxic Wtf^poison protein that can be neutralized by a corresponding Wtf^antidote protein. The wtf genes are rapidly evolving and extremely diverse. Here we found that self-assembly of W

SUBMITTER: Srinivasa AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11642804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature