Diversification and hybrid incompatibility in auto-pseudogamous species of Mesorhabditis nematodes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pseudogamy is a reproductive system in which females rely on the sperm of males to activate their oocytes, generally parasitizing males of other species, but do not use the sperm DNA. The nematode Mesorhabditis belari uses a specific form of pseudogamy, where females produce their own males as a source of sperm. Males develop from rare eggs with true fertilization, while females arise by gynogenesis. Males thus do not contribute their genome to the female offspring. Here, we explored the diversity of reproductive mode within the Mesorhabditis genus and addressed species barriers in pseudogamous species.

Results

To this end, we established a collection of over 60 Mesorhabditis strains from soil and rotting vegetal matter. We found that males from pseudogamous speci

SUBMITTER: Launay C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7433073 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature