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Effective purifying selection in ancient asexual oribatid mites

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander Brandt

    (Georg-August-University Goettingen)

  • Ina Schaefer

    (Georg-August-University Goettingen)

  • Julien Glanz

    (Georg-August-University Goettingen)

  • Tanja Schwander

    (University of Lausanne)

  • Mark Maraun

    (Georg-August-University Goettingen)

  • Stefan Scheu

    (Georg-August-University Goettingen
    Georg-August-University Goettingen)

  • Jens Bast

    (University of Lausanne)

Abstract

Sex is beneficial in the long term because it can prevent mutational meltdown through increased effectiveness of selection. This idea is supported by empirical evidence of deleterious mutation accumulation in species with a recent transition to asexuality. Here, we study the effectiveness of purifying selection in oribatid mites which have lost sex millions of years ago and diversified into different families and species while reproducing asexually. We compare the accumulation of deleterious nonsynonymous and synonymous mutations between three asexual and three sexual lineages using transcriptome data. Contrasting studies of young asexual lineages, we find evidence for strong purifying selection that is more effective in asexual as compared to sexual oribatid mite lineages. Our results suggest that large populations likely sustain effective purifying selection and facilitate the escape of mutational meltdown in the absence of sex. Thus, sex per se is not a prerequisite for the long-term persistence of animal lineages.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Brandt & Ina Schaefer & Julien Glanz & Tanja Schwander & Mark Maraun & Stefan Scheu & Jens Bast, 2017. "Effective purifying selection in ancient asexual oribatid mites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01002-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01002-8
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