Genetic coupling of mate recognition systems in the genomic era
Abstract
The concept of “genetic coupling” in mate recognition systems arose in the 1960s as a potential mechanism to maintain coordination between signals and receivers during evolutionary divergence. At its most basic it proposed that the same genes might influence trait and preference, and therefore mutations could result in coordinated changes in both traits. Since then, the concept has expanded in scope and is often used to include linkage or genetic correlation between recognition system components. Here we review evidence for genetic coupling, concentrating on proposed examples of a common genetic basis for signals and preferences. Mapping studies have identified several examples of tight genetic linkage between genomic regions influencing signals and preferences, or assortative mating. Whether this extends as far as demonstrating pleiotropy remains a more open question. Some studies, notably of Drosophila, have identified genes in the sex determination pathway and in pheromonal communication where single loci can influence both signals and preferences. This may be based on isoform divergence, in which sex- and tissue-specific effects are facilitated by alternative spicing, or on regulatory divergence. Hence it is not clear that such examples provide compelling evidence of pleiotropy in the sense that “magic mutations” could maintain trait coordination. Rather, coevolution may be facilitated by regulatory divergence but require different mutations or coevolution across isoforms. Reconsidering the logic of genetic coupling, it may be that pleiotropy could actually be less effective than linkage if distinct but associated variants allow molecular coevolution to occur more readily than potentially “unbalanced” mutations in single genes. Genetic manipulation or studies of mutation order effects during divergence are challenging but perhaps the only way to disentangle the role of pleiotropy versus close linkage in coordinated trait divergence.
Citation
Ritchie , MG & Butlin , RK 2024 , ' Genetic coupling of mate recognition systems in the genomic era ' , Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology , vol. 16 , no. 4 , a041437 . https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041437
Publication
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1943-0264Type
Journal item
Description
Funding: MGR is funded by the NERC, UK (Grant NE/V001566/1). RKB is funded by The Leverhulme Trust and the Swedish Research Council.Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.