Publication Date:
1988-04-22
Description:
In the parasitic wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, males are haploid and usually develop from unfertilized eggs, whereas females are diploid and develop from fertilized eggs. Some individuals in this species carry a genetic element, termed psr (paternal sex ratio), which is transmitted through sperm and causes condensation and subsequent loss of paternal chromosomes in fertilized eggs, thus converting diploid females into haploid males. In this report the psr trait was shown to be caused by a supernumerary chromosome. This B chromosome contains at least three repetitive DNA sequences that do not cross-hybridize to each other or to the host genome. The psr chromosome apparently produces a trans-acting product responsible for condensation of the paternal chromosomes, but is itself insensitive to the effect. Because the psr chromosome enhances its transmission by eliminating the rest of the genome, it can be considered the most "selfish" genetic element yet described.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Nur, U -- Werren, J H -- Eickbush, D G -- Burke, W D -- Eickbush, T H -- GM31867/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1988 Apr 22;240(4851):512-4.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Department of Biology, University of Rochester, NY 14627.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3358129" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Animals
;
Base Sequence
;
Chromosomes/*physiology
;
Cloning, Molecular
;
DNA, Satellite
;
Diploidy
;
Haploidy
;
Hymenoptera/*genetics
;
Molecular Sequence Data
;
Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
;
Sex Determination Analysis
;
*Sex Ratio
;
Wasps/*genetics
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
