High fusibility and chimera prevalence in an invasive colonial ascidian.

ABSTRACT: The formation of chimeric entities through colony fusion has been hypothesized to favour colonisation success and resilience in modular organisms. In particular, it can play an important role in promoting the invasiveness of introduced species. We studied prevalence of chimerism and performed fusion experiments in Mediterranean populations of the worldwide invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum. We analysed single zooids by whole genome amplification and genotyping-by-sequencing and obtained genotypic information for more than 2,000 loci per individual. In the prevalence study, we analysed nine colonies and identified that 44% of them were chimeric, composed of 2-3 different genotypes. In the fusion experiment 15 intra- and 30 intercolony pairs were assayed but one or both fragments

SUBMITTER: Casso M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6821838 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature