A selfish supergene causes meiotic drive through both sexes in <i>Drosophila</i>.

ABSTRACT: Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that bias their own transmission during meiosis or gamete formation. Due to the fundamental differences between male and female meiosis in animals and plants, meiotic drivers operate through distinct mechanisms in the two sexes: In females, they exploit the asymmetry of meiosis to ensure their inclusion in the egg, whereas in males, they eliminate competing gametes after symmetric meiosis. Meiotic drive is commonly reported in males, where it strongly influences the evolution of spermatogenesis, while the few known cases in females have highlighted its crucial role in centromere evolution. Despite a growing number of examples in a wide range of organisms, meiotic drive has so far only been observed in one sex or the other since its discovery nea

SUBMITTER: Keais GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12054836 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature