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PSR can be used to study (1) evolution of selfish DNA, (2) chromosome evolution, and (3) mechanisms of chromosome condensation in early development. I have combined population genetic, molecular genetic, and cytogenetic approaches to study this chromosome. Field studies have shown that PSR is restricted in its distribution to the great basin region of North America, occurring at frequencies of between 0-10%. Both theory (Werren & Beukeboom 1993) and laboratory population experiments (Beukeboom and Werren 1992) indicate that the subdivided population structure of these wasps probably plays an important role in reducing the frequency of this selfish element and that the MSR element enhances its frequency. These studies represent one of the more clear-cut illustrations of interdemic (group) selection operating on a specific genetic element. The Nasonia sex ratio distorter system shows promise as a model system for studying the coevolutionary dynamics of selfish genetic elements and their interplay with the host genome and population structure. Selected Publications(click here to get pdf files for some of the papers below) McAllister, B.F., L.W. Beukeboom and J.H. Werren. 2004. Site-specific mapping of the paternal-sex-ratio (PSR) chromosome. Heredity 92 (1): 5-13. Werren, J.H., M.J. Hatcher, and H.C.J. Godfray. 2002. Maternal-Offspring Conflict Leads to the Evolution of Dominant Zygotic Sex Determination. Heredity 88:102-111. Hurst, G.D.D. and J.H. Werren. 2001. The role of selfish genetic elements in eukaryotic evolution. Nature Reviews 2:597-606. Werren, J.H. and M. Hatcher. Maternal - zygotic gene conflict over sex determination: Effects of inbreeding. Genetics Genetics 2000 155: 1469-1479. McAllister, B.F. and J.H. Werren 1999. Evolution of tandemly repeated sequences: What happens at the end of an array? J. Mol. Evol. 48:469-481. Werren, J.H. and L. Beukeboom. 1998. Sex Determination, Sex Ratios and Genetic Conflict. Ann. Rev. Ecol. & Systematics 29:233-261. Werren, J.H. 1998. Wolbachia and speciation. in Endless Forms: Species and Speciation, (D. Howard and S Berlocher, eds). pp. 245-260. Oxford University Press. Werren, J.H. and S. O'Neill 1997. The evolution of heritable symbionts. In Influential Passengers:inherited microorganisms and arthropod reproduction. [S. O'Neill, A. Hoffman and J.H. Werren, eds] Oxford University Press McAllister, B.F. and J.H. Werren 1997. Phylogenetic analysis of a retrotransposon with implications for strong evolutionary constraints on reverse transcriptase. Mol. Biol. &Evol. 14:69-80. Werren, J.H. 1994. Genetic invasion of the insect body snatchers. Natural History 103(6):36-38. Reed, K.M., L.W. Beukeboom, D. Eickbush and J.H. Werren. 1994. Junctions between repetitive DNA's on the Paternal Sex Ratio (PSR) chromosome: Association of palindromes with recombination. J. Mol. Evol. 38:352-362. Beukeboom, L.B. and J.H. Werren. 1993. Transmission and expression of the parasitic Paternal Sex Ratio (PSR) chromosome. Heredity 70:437-443. Werren, J.H. and L. Beukeboom. 1993. Population genetics of a parasitic chromosome: Theoretical analysis of PSR in subdivided populations. Amer. Natur. 142:224-241. Beukeboom, L. and J.H. Werren. 1992. Population genetics of a parasitic chromosome: Experimental analysis of PSR in subdivided populations. Evolution 46(5):1257-1268. Eickbush, D., T. Eickbush and J.H. Werren. 1992. Molecular characterization of repetitive DNA sequences from a B chromosome. Chromosoma 101:575-583 Werren, J.H., U. Nur., and C.-I. Wu. 1988. Selfish genetic elements. Trends in Ecol.& Evolution 3:297-302. Nur, U., J.H. Werren, D. Eickbush, W. Burke and T. Eickbush, 1988. A "selfish" B chromosome that enhances its transmission by eliminating the paternal chromosomes. Science 240:512-514. Werren, J.H., U. Nur and D. Eickbush. 1987. An extrachromosomal factor which causes loss of paternal chromosomes. Nature 327:75-76. Werren, J.H. 1987. The coevolution of autosomal and cytoplasmic sex ratio factors. J. Theor. Biol. 124:317-334. |
Last modified: June 14, 2005