| Presentation Detail
Molecular Evolution Geist, Katherine S. [1], Strassmann, Joan E. [2], Queller, David C. [1]. Parent-offspring conflict drives rapid molecular evolution in angiosperm seeds. Maternal care is widespread, from mammals to insects to plants. However, mothers and their offspring will not always agree over the amount and timing of maternal care. Offspring are selected to demand more investment than mothers are selected to give because of genetic conflicts of interest. Mothers will be selected to balance investment among their current and future offspring because they are equally related to offspring. On the other hand, an offspring will be selected to garner resources for itself at the expense of its siblings because it is more related to itself than to siblings. Such a situation is made more interesting when there is an intermediary nutritive tissue, such as the endosperm of angiosperm seeds. Because the genetic backgrounds of the seedcoat, endosperm, and embryo are distinct, parent-offspring conflict is expected. Here, we test the hypothesis that conflict between seed tissues over resource provisioning creates molecular evolution signatures of arms race dynamics. Using tissue-specific genes expressed during seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana, we test whether parent-offspring conflict in seeds drives exceptional patterns of molecular variation within and between species. We show the first evidence that parent-offspring conflict generates signatures of rapid evolution in the genome.
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1 - Washington University in St. Louis, Biology, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
2 - Washington University in St. Louis, Biology, One Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
Keywords:
parent-offspring conflict
genetic conflict
arms race dynamics
rapid molecular evolution.
Presentation Type: Regular Oral Presentation
Session: 145
Location: Alpine A and B/Snowbird Center
Date: Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
Time: 1:45 PM
Number: 145002
Abstract ID:970
Candidate for Awards:W.D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Student Presentation |
