A sex-chromosome inversion causes strong overdominance for sperm traits that affect siring success
Language English Country Great Britain, England Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article
PubMed
29046576
DOI
10.1038/s41559-017-0236-1
PII: 10.1038/s41559-017-0236-1
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- MeSH
- Chromosome Inversion genetics MeSH
- Phenotype MeSH
- Fertilization * MeSH
- Finches genetics physiology MeSH
- Sex Chromosomes genetics MeSH
- Spermatozoa physiology MeSH
- Songbirds genetics physiology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Male reproductive success depends on the competitive ability of sperm to fertilize the ova, which should lead to strong selection on sperm characteristics. This raises the question of how heritable variation in sperm traits is maintained. Here we show that in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) nearly half of the variance in sperm morphology is explained by an inversion on the Z chromosome with a 40% allele frequency in the wild. The sperm of males that are heterozygous for the inversion had the longest midpieces and the highest velocity. Furthermore, such males achieved the highest fertility and the highest siring success, both within-pair and extra-pair. Males homozygous for the derived allele show detrimental sperm characteristics and the lowest siring success. Our results suggest heterozygote advantage as the mechanism that maintains the inversion polymorphism and hence variance in sperm design and in fitness.
Faculty of Science Charles University Prague 128 44 Czech Republic
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology Christian Albrechts University Kiel 24105 Germany
Institute of Vertebrate Biology Czech Academy of Sciences Brno 603 65 Czech Republic
References provided by Crossref.org
Impact of Z chromosome inversions on gene expression in testis and liver tissues in the zebra finch