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Sexual and ecological selection on a sexual conflict gene
Author(s) -
PlesnarBielak Agata,
Skwierzyńska Anna M.,
Radwan Jacek
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/jeb.13680
Subject(s) - biology , sexual conflict , sexual selection , allele , locus (genetics) , genetics , natural selection , selection (genetic algorithm) , competition (biology) , gene , ecology , operational sex ratio , evolutionary biology , mating system , artificial intelligence , computer science , mating
Abstract Sexual selection and conflict can act on genes with important metabolic functions, potentially shaping standing genetic variance in such genes and thus evolutionary potential of populations. Here, using experimental evolution, we show how reproductive competition intensity and thermal environment affect selection on phosphogluconate dehydrogenase ( 6Pgdh )—a metabolic gene involved in sexual selection and conflict in the bulb mite. The S allele of 6Pgdh increases male success in reproductive competition, but is detrimental to S‐bearing males’ partners. We found that the rate of the S allele spread increased with the proportion of males in the experimental populations, illustrating that harm to females is more easily compensated for males under more intense sexual competition. Furthermore, we found that under equal sex ratio, the S allele spreads faster at higher temperature. While the direction of selection on 6Pgdh was not reversed in any of the conditions we tested, which would be required for environmental heterogeneity to maintain polymorphism at this locus, our study highlights that ecological and sexual selection can jointly affect selection on important metabolic enzymes.