Werren John H, Loehlin David W
Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2009 Oct;2009(10):pdb.emo134. doi: 10.1101/pdb.emo134.
Nasonia is a complex of four closely related species of wasps that is rapidly emerging as a model for evolutionary and developmental genetics. It has several features that make it an excellent genetic system, including a short generation time, ease of rearing, interfertile species, visible and molecular markers, and a sequenced genome. The form of sex determination, called "haplodiploidy," makes Nasonia particularly suitable as a genetic tool. Females are diploid and develop from fertilized eggs, whereas males are haploid and develop from unfertilized eggs. This allows geneticists to exploit many of the advantages of haploid genetics in an otherwise complex eukaryotic organism. Nasonia readily inbreeds, permitting production of isogenic lines, and the four species in the genus are interfertile (after removal of the endosymbiont Wolbachia), facilitating movement of genes between the species for efficient positional cloning of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Genome sequencing of the genetic model Nasonia vitripennis and two interfertile species, Nasonia giraulti and Nasonia longicornis, is now completed. This genome project provides a wealth of interspecies polymorphisms (e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs], insertion-deletions [indels], microsatellites) to facilitate positional cloning of genes involved in species differences in behavior, morphology, and development. Advances in the genetics of this system also open a path for improvement of parasitoid insects as agents of pest control.
丽蝇蛹集金小蜂是由四种亲缘关系密切的黄蜂组成的复合体，正迅速成为进化遗传学和发育遗传学的模式生物。它具有几个使其成为优秀遗传系统的特征，包括世代周期短、易于饲养、可育的物种间杂交、可见和分子标记以及已测序的基因组。称为“单双倍体”的性别决定形式使丽蝇蛹集金小蜂特别适合作为遗传工具。雌性为二倍体，由受精卵发育而来，而雄性为单倍体，由未受精卵发育而来。这使得遗传学家能够在其他方面复杂的真核生物中利用单倍体遗传学的许多优势。丽蝇蛹集金小蜂易于近亲繁殖，可产生近交系，并且该属中的四个物种是可育的（去除内共生菌沃尔巴克氏体后），便于基因在物种间转移，以高效地对数量性状基因座（QTL）进行定位克隆。遗传模式生物丽蝇蛹集金小蜂以及两个可育物种吉氏丽蝇蛹集金小蜂和长角丽蝇蛹集金小蜂的基因组测序现已完成。这个基因组项目提供了丰富的种间多态性（例如，单核苷酸多态性[SNP]、插入缺失[indel]、微卫星），以促进对涉及行为、形态和发育方面物种差异的基因进行定位克隆。该系统遗传学的进展也为将寄生性昆虫改良为害虫防治媒介开辟了道路。
