Hybridogenesis is a kind of reproduction where a haploid set of selfish female g
ID: 271573 • Letter: H
Question
Hybridogenesis is a kind of reproduction where a haploid set of selfish female genes combine with a haploid set of male genes in the offspring, but then selfishly eject all the male genes in gamete production so all the genes going into the following generation are maternal. Thus, the female gets half her genes into her offspring, and all of those genes also go into her grand-offspring whereas the male parent has half its genes in the offspring but none of its genes in the grand-offspring. This seems like a great system from the point of view of the selfish maternal genes, but it’s not known from many real species.
Could you help me with the pros and cons (advantages and costs) of hybridogenesis to find out what factors determine its abundance in species. A short and longer-term benefits and costs with named examples if possible.
Explanation / Answer
Hybridogenesis or also known as hemiclonal inheritance leads to retention of both set of genes in the offspring but it passes only female genes to the next generation. The hybrid genomes of the offspring have both parent's gene sets but there is ni recombinantion between them. Since there is no recombination between the male and female parents genomes, there is no intermixed pool of male and female genes/alleles. This can lead to lesser population fitness if mutations are higher in females, since hybridogen would only pass maternally/female transmitted mutations. Overtime mutations can get accumalated as they would not be balanced out with gene recombination between male and female genes that can create allele diversity.
On the other hand, if female parent has a lesser mutation rate,alleles that are confer better survival, in comparison to male parent, then there would be lower mutation accumalation, better gene pool that is pro survival.
A female offspring can backcross with the mail and reproduce, hybridity would be restored.
Example; Water frogs undergo the phenomenon of hybridogenesis.
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