Abundant genetic variability in Drosophila simulans for hybrid female lethality in interspecific crosses to Drosophila melanogaster.

Intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation is thought to result from the substitution of multiple harmless or beneficial genetic differences between species that are incidentally deleterious when combined in species hybrids, causing hybrid sterility or inviability. Genetic variability for hybrid sterility or inviability phenotypes is, however, rarely assessed in natural populations. Here, we assess variation for Drosophila simulans-encoded maternal factor(s) that cause lethality in D. simulans-Drosophila melanogaster F(1) hybrid females. First, we survey genetic variability in the strength of D. simulans-mediated maternal effect hybrid lethality among 37 geographic and laboratory isolates. We find abundant variability in the strength of maternal effect hybrid lethality, ranging from complete lethality to none. Second, we assess maternal effect hybrid lethality for a subset of wild isolates made heterozygous with two so-called hybrid rescue strains. The results suggest that the D. simulans maternal effect hybrid lethality involves a diversity of alleles and/or multiple loci.