Partial Selfing Can Reduce Genetic Loads While Maintaining Diversity During Experimental Evolution.

ABSTRACT: Partial selfing, whereby self- and cross- fertilization occur in populations at intermediate frequencies, is generally thought to be evolutionarily unstable. Yet, it is found in natural populations. This could be explained if populations with partial selfing are able to reduce genetic loads and the possibility for inbreeding depression while keeping genetic diversity that may be important for future adaptation. To address this hypothesis, we compare the experimental evolution of Caenorhabditis elegans populations under partial selfing, exclusive selfing or predominant outcrossing, while they adapt to osmotically challenging conditions. We find that the ancestral genetic load, as measured by the risk of extinction upon inbreeding by selfing, is maintained as long as outcrossing is th

SUBMITTER: Chelo IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6723137 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature