Experimental Population Genetics of Meiotic Drive Systems II. Accumulation of Genetic Modifiers of Segregation Distorter (SD) in Laboratory Populations

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The accumulation of modifiers of the meiotic-drive locus Segregation Distorter (SD) in Drosophila melanogaster was monitored by measuring the changes in the mean and variance of drive strength (in terms of "make" value) that occur in laboratory populations when SD and SD+ chromosomes are in direct competition. The particular SD lines used are T(Y;2),SD translocations showing pseudo-Y drive. Four sets of population cages were analyzed. Two sets were monitored for changes in SD fitness and drive strength (presumed to be positively correlated) and analyzed for the presence of autosomal dominant or X-linked modifiers after long periods of time. The remaining two sets were made up of cages either made isogenic or variable for background genetic material, and these were used to test whether the rate of accumulation of modifiers was dependent on initial genetic variability.—Contrary to previous studies in which most suppression of SD action could apparently be attributed to a few dominantly acting modifiers of large effect, the conclusion here is that laboratory populations that are initially free of such major dominant loci evolve to suppress SD action by accumulating polygenic, recessive modifiers, each of small effect, and that much of the required genetic variability can be generated de novo by mutation. Possible explanations for these seemingly incompatible results and the evolutionary implications for SD are considered.

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