mRNA sequencing of Triturus embryos
In a balanced lethal system, recessive lethal alleles are present on two homologous chromosomes with each chromosome bearing a different lethal allele. Functionality is retained because each lethal allele is complemented by a functional allele on the homologous chromosome. These chromosomes are passed on to the next generation randomly, which results in the non-lethal combination of chromosomes in only half of the offspring, the other half dies. Triturus newts possess a balanced lethal system that is also known as 'chromosome 1 syndrome' - there are two versions of chromosome 1 - 1A and 1B, only individuals heterozygous for chromosome 1 (1A1B) survive.We sequenced mRNA from 7 day old embryos of AA, BB and AB individuals from 10 Triturus species.