Capture and return of sexual genomes by hybridogenetic frogs provide clonal genome enrichment in a sexual species.

ABSTRACT: Hybridogenesis is a reproductive tool for sexual parasitism. Hybridogenetic hybrids use gametes from their sexual host for their own reproduction, but sexual species gain no benefit from such matings as their genome is later eliminated. Here, we examine the presence of sexual parasitism in water frogs through crossing experiments and genome-wide data. We specifically focus on the famous Central-European populations where Pelophylax esculentus males (hybrids of P. ridibundus and P. lessonae) live with P. ridibundus. We identified a system where the hybrids commonly produce two types of clonal gametes (hybrid amphispermy). The haploid lessonae genome is clonally inherited from generation to generation and assures the maintenance of hybrids through a process, in which lessonae sperm fertilize

SUBMITTER: Dolezalkova-Kastankova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7810977 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature