Open AccessExperimental studies of ploidy evolution in yeast
Author(s) -
Zeyl Clifford
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2004.tb09481.x
Subject(s) - ploidy , biology , yeast , saccharomyces cerevisiae , eukaryote , genetics , population , evolutionary biology , genome , gene , demography , sociology
Variation in the prominence of haploidy and diploidy is a striking feature of eukaryote life cycles that has not been explained from an evolutionary point of view. The ease with which ploidy and other variables of population genetics may be manipulated in yeast make Saccharomyces cerevisiae an excellent subject for experiments on the fitness effects of ploidy. Several hypotheses have been advanced to explain the emphasis on diploidy in plants and animals, and yeast experiments have been particularly informative for a few. Evidence suggests that diploids may enjoy an immediate advantage over haploids in masking harmful mutations, avoiding the fitness cost such mutations impose on haploids. A convincing longer‐term advantage for diploidy has proven elusive, and different evolutionary explanations for the origin and for the subsequent maintenance of diploidy may be required.