Warner Michael R, Mikheyev Alexander S, Linksvayer Timothy A
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.
Mol Biol Evol. 2017 Jul 1;34(7):1780-1787. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msx123.
Kin selection is thought to drive the evolution of cooperation and conflict, but the specific genes and genome-wide patterns shaped by kin selection are unknown. We identified thousands of genes associated with the sterile ant worker caste, the archetype of an altruistic phenotype shaped by kin selection, and then used population and comparative genomic approaches to study patterns of molecular evolution at these genes. Consistent with population genetic theoretical predictions, worker-upregulated genes experienced reduced selection compared with genes upregulated in reproductive castes. Worker-upregulated genes included more taxonomically restricted genes, indicating that the worker caste has recruited more novel genes, yet these genes also experienced reduced selection. Our study identifies a putative genomic signature of kin selection and helps to integrate emerging sociogenomic data with longstanding social evolution theory.
亲缘选择被认为推动了合作与冲突的进化，但由亲缘选择塑造的具体基因和全基因组模式尚不清楚。我们鉴定出了数千个与不育的蚂蚁工蚁等级相关的基因，工蚁等级是由亲缘选择塑造的利他表型的原型，然后使用群体和比较基因组方法来研究这些基因的分子进化模式。与群体遗传理论预测一致，与生殖等级中上调的基因相比，工蚁上调的基因受到的选择减少。工蚁上调的基因包括更多分类学上受限的基因，这表明工蚁等级招募了更多新基因，但这些基因也受到较少的选择。我们的研究确定了亲缘选择的一个假定基因组特征，并有助于将新出现的社会基因组数据与长期的社会进化理论相结合。
