title: Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Mating Behavior and Male Sex Pheromones in Nasonia Wasps.
abstract: A major focus in speciation genetics is to identify the chromosomal regions and genes that reduce hybridization and gene flow. We investigated the genetic architecture of mating behavior in the parasitoid wasp species pair Nasonia giraulti and Nasonia oneida that exhibit strong prezygotic isolation. Behavioral analysis showed that N. oneida females had consistently higher latency times, and broke off the mating sequence more often in the mounting stage when confronted with N. giraulti males compared with males of their own species. N. oneida males produce a lower quantity of the long-range male sex pheromone (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (RS-HDL). Crosses between the two species yielded hybrid males with various pheromone quantities, and these males were used in mating trials with females of either species to measure female mate discrimination rates. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis involving 475 recombinant hybrid males (F2), 2148 reciprocally backcrossed females (F3), and a linkage map of 52 equally spaced neutral single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers plus SNPs in 40 candidate mating behavior genes revealed four QTL for male pheromone amount, depending on partner species. Our results demonstrate that the RS-HDL pheromone plays a role in the mating system of N. giraulti and N. oneida, but also that additional communication cues are involved in mate choice. No QTL were found for female mate discrimination, which points at a polygenic architecture of female choice with strong environmental influences.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands w.diao@rug.nl l.w.beukeboom@rug.nl.
authors.forename: Wenwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mousset
authors.affiliation: Natural Environment Research Council Bio-Molecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gavin J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Horsburgh
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cornelis J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.affiliation: Population Epigenetics and Epigenomics, Department of Plant Sciences, Technical University Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Johannes
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van de Zande
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700CC, The Netherlands w.diao@rug.nl l.w.beukeboom@rug.nl.
authors.forename: Leo W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Beukeboom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D010675:Pheromones / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000235:genetics*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones; D012724:Sex Attractants
keywords: Nasonia courtship; QTL analysis; female choice; sex pheromone; speciation