The evolutionary ecology of cytonuclear interactions in angiosperms.
Interactions between cytoplasmic and nuclear genomes have significant evolutionary consequences. In angiosperms, the most common cytonuclear interaction is between mitochondrial genes that disrupt pollen production (cytoplasmic male sterility, CMS) and nuclear genes that restore it (nuclear male fertility restorers, Rf). The outcome of CMS/Rf interactions can depend on whether Rf alleles have negative pleiotropic effects on fitness. Although these fitness costs are often considered to be independent of the ecological context, we argue that the effects of Rf alleles on fitness should be context dependent. Thus, measuring the cost of restoration across a range of environments could help explain geographic and phylogenetic variation in the distribution of Rf alleles and the outcome of CMS/Rf interactions.
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. carusoc@uoguelph.ca
Christina M
CM
Caruso
Andrea L
AL
Case
Maia F
MF
Bailey
D005075:Biological Evolution; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D004463:Ecology; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D054817:Pollination / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction; D015398:Signal Transduction