Cryptic recessive lethality of a supergene controlling social organization in ants.

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Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_9042BFC8DFC2
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Cryptic recessive lethality of a supergene controlling social organization in ants.
Journal
Molecular ecology
Author(s)
Blacher P., De Gasperin O., Grasso G., Sarton-Lohéac S., Allemann R., Chapuisat M.
ISSN
1365-294X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0962-1083
Publication state
Published
Issued date
03/2023
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
32
Number
5
Pages
1062-1072
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Supergenes are clusters of linked loci that control complex phenotypes, such as alternative forms of social organization in ants. Explaining the long-term maintenance of supergenes is challenging, particularly when the derived haplotype lacks homozygous lethality and causes gene drive. In the Alpine silver ant, Formica selysi, a large and ancient social supergene with two haplotypes, M and P, controls colony social organization. Single-queen colonies only contain MM females, while multiqueen colonies contain MP and PP females. The derived P haplotype, found only in multiqueen colonies, selfishly enhances its transmission through maternal effect killing, which could have led to its fixation. A population genetic model showed that a stable social polymorphism can only be maintained under a narrow set of conditions, which includes partial assortative mating by social form (which is known to occur in the wild), and low fitness of PP queens. With a combination of field and laboratory experiments, we show that the P haplotype has deleterious effects on female fitness. The survival rate of PP queens and workers was around half that of other genotypes. Moreover, P-carrying queens had lower fertility and fecundity compared to other queens. We discuss how cryptic lethal effects of the P haplotype help stabilize this ancient polymorphism.
Keywords
Animals, Female, Ants/genetics, Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics, Genotype, Haplotypes/genetics, Reproduction/genetics, Social Behavior, ants, genetic load, inversions, social polymorphism, supergenes
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/12/2022 10:27
Last modification date
09/03/2023 6:49
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