Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Bioessays. 2013 Aug;35(8):683-9. doi: 10.1002/bies.201300038. Epub 2013 May 31.
We suggest that supergenes, groups of co-inherited loci, may be involved in a range of intriguing genetic and evolutionary phenomena in insect societies, and may play broad roles in the evolution of cooperation and conflict. Supergenes are central in the evolution of an array of traits including self-incompatibility, mimicry, and sex chromosomes. Recently, researchers identified a large supergene, described as a social chromosome, which controls social organization in the fire ant. This system was previously considered to be a remarkable example of a single gene affecting a complex social trait. We describe how selection may commonly favor reduced recombination and the formation of supergenes for social traits, and once formed, supergenes may strongly influence further evolutionary dynamics within and between lineages. The evolution of supergenes, and even wholly non-recombining genomes, may be particularly common in systems in which genetically distinct lineages can form mutually reinforcing socially parasitic relationships.
我们认为，超级基因座（一组共同遗传的基因座）可能参与了昆虫社会中一系列有趣的遗传和进化现象，并可能在合作与冲突的进化中发挥广泛的作用。超级基因座在一系列特征的进化中处于核心地位，包括自交不亲和性、拟态和性染色体。最近，研究人员发现了一个大型超级基因座，被描述为社会染色体，它控制着火蚁的社会组织。这个系统以前被认为是一个单一基因影响复杂社会特征的显著例子。我们描述了选择如何通常有利于减少重组和形成社会特征的超级基因座，并且一旦形成，超级基因座可能会强烈影响谱系内和谱系间的进一步进化动态。超级基因座的进化，甚至是完全不重组的基因组的进化，在遗传上不同的谱系可以形成相互强化的社会寄生关系的系统中可能特别普遍。
