生物谷報導:進化論認為,物種進化永遠是朝著「最優基因」的目標前進。不過,一項最新的研究表明,動物雌雄兩性在進化中可能無法「皆大歡喜」,對雄性有利的基因往往會阻礙雌性同類相關的適應性。相關論文發表在6月28日的《自然》雜誌上。
英國愛丁堡大學(University of Edinburgh)的Katharina Foerster和同事分析了1971年至2005年收集的一種蘇格蘭馬鹿的相關數據,並且利用每隻馬鹿對種群個體數量的貢獻來衡量它們的適應性。研究人員通過統計發現,如果一隻雄性的適應性(指生存能力和繁殖數量)強,那麼它的雌性親屬的適應性往往低於平均水平。這一現象表明,兩性在進化過程中存在著一種競爭,即基因的性別對抗性選擇(sexually antagonistic selection)。
Foerster表示,「對一個物種的雌雄性個體而言,最優基因存在著一種平衡。」所謂的最優基因是與性別緊密相關的。
儘管此前對黑腹果蠅的實驗室研究得到過類似的結論,但這是科學家第一次真正的「自然」選擇研究。不過,科學家並沒有發現對應的結論,即雌性馬鹿的高產會影響雄性親屬的繁殖能力。研究人員表示,這可能是由於母親對雌雄後代的早期影響比較類似,從而補償了雄性遺傳上的不利條件。
同樣地,研究人員也沒有發現雄性馬鹿的適應性與其雄性後代有任何關聯。她們推測,雄性無法將自身的適應性特徵傳達給雄性後代,很可能是因為這類性別對抗基因位於X染色體上。
加拿大皇后大學的Adam Chippindale對該項研究給予了高度的評價。他表示,研究基因選擇中的性別差異並不容易。「首先,衡量適應性就是一項極為困難的工作,更不用說幾代之間的不同性別差異性的傳遞……即使在實驗室中也很難得到類似的數據,研究人員對馬鹿進行了長達幾十年的關注,所得到的結論也是十分出色的。」
Chippindale認為,如果能夠收集到更多理想的數據,研究人員很可能會最終發現,這一與性別相關的基因選擇是普遍存在的。「最優基因只有在合適的性別環境中才是最優的,」他說。(引自科學網)
原始出處:
Nature 447, 1107-1110 (28 June 2007) | doi:10.1038/nature05912; Received 11 December 2006; Accepted 11 May 2007
Katharina Foerster1, Tim Coulson2, Ben C. Sheldon3, Josephine M. Pemberton1, Tim H. Clutton-Brock4 & Loeske E. B. Kruuk1
Correspondence to: Katharina Foerster1Loeske E. B. Kruuk1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to K.F. (Email: foerster@orn.mpg.de) or L.E.B.K. (Email: loeske.kruuk@ed.ac.uk).
Evolutionary theory predicts the depletion of genetic variation in natural populations as a result of the effects of selection, but genetic variation is nevertheless abundant for many traits that are under directional or stabilizing selection1. Evolutionary geneticists commonly try to explain this paradox with mechanisms that lead to a balance between mutation and selection2. However, theoretical predictions of equilibrium genetic variance under mutation–selection balance are usually lower than the observed values, and the reason for this is unknown3. The potential role of sexually antagonistic selection in maintaining genetic variation has received little attention in this debate, surprisingly given its potential ubiquity in dioecious organisms. At fitness-related loci, a given genotype may be selected in opposite directions in the two sexes. Such sexually antagonistic selection will reduce the otherwise-expected positive genetic correlation between male and female fitness4. Both theory5, 6, 7 and experimental data8, 9, 10, 11, 12 suggest that males and females of the same species may have divergent genetic optima, but supporting data from wild populations are still scarce13, 14, 15. Here we present evidence for sexually antagonistic fitness variation in a natural population, using data from a long-term study of red deer (Cervus elaphus). We show that male red deer with relatively high fitness fathered, on average, daughters with relatively low fitness. This was due to a negative genetic correlation between estimates of fitness in males and females. In particular, we show that selection favours males that carry low breeding values for female fitness. Our results demonstrate that sexually antagonistic selection can lead to a trade-off between the optimal genotypes for males and females; this mechanism will have profound effects on the operation of selection and the maintenance of genetic variation in natural populations.
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