Chromosome Research

, Volume 14, Issue 6, pp 693–700 | Cite as

Causes of B chromosome variant substitution in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans

  • M. I. Manrique-Poyato
  • A. J. Muñoz-Pajares
  • V. Loreto
  • M. D. López-León
  • J. Cabrero
  • J. P. M. Camacho
Article
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Abstract

We have analysed B chromosome frequency for three consecutive years, B transmission rate at population and individual levels, clutch size, egg fertility and embryo–adult viability in a natural population of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans containing two different B chromosome variants, i.e. B2 and B24, the second being derived from the first and having replaced it in nearby populations. From 2002 to 2003 the relative frequency of both variants changed, although the differences did not reach significance. A mother–offspring analysis showed no significant effect of any of the two B variants on clutch size, egg fertility or embryo–adult viability, but B24 was more efficiently transmitted than B2 through males from the 2002 season, which explains the observed frequency change. Controlled crosses, at individual level, showed significant drive through some females for B24 but not for B2, suggesting that this difference in transmission rate might also be important for the substitution process. The analysis of relative fitness for B2 and B24 carriers for all fitness components, as a whole, showed a significantly better performance of B24-carrying individuals, suggesting that the cumulative effect of these slight differences might contribute to the replacement of B2 by B24.

Key words

B-chromosome drive E. plorans fitness neutralized parasitic substitution 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (BOS2003-06635) and Plan Andaluz de Investigación (CVI-165). We thank Jesús Navas Castillo, his sons César and Pablo, Dragan Chobanov, Mohamed Abdelaziz and María Teruel for their help in collecting grasshoppers. We also thank Elisabeth Montiel for her help in studying some material, and Francisco Perfectti and Armando Caballero for useful comments on the manuscript.

Supplementary material

DO00001081_ESM.doc (138 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • M. I. Manrique-Poyato
    • 1
  • A. J. Muñoz-Pajares
    • 1
  • V. Loreto
    • 1
    • 2
  • M. D. López-León
    • 1
  • J. Cabrero
    • 1
  • J. P. M. Camacho
    • 1
  1. 1.Departamento de Genética, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de GranadaGranadaSpain
  2. 2.Unidade Acadêmica de GaranhunsUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoGaranhunsBrazil

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