Publications

a large panel of drosophila simulans reveals an abundance of common variants.	the rapidly expanding availability of large ngs data sets provides an opportunity to investigate population genetics at an unprecedented scale. drosophila simulans is the sister species of the model organism drosophila melanogaster, and is often presumed to share similar demographic history. however, previous population genetic and ecological work suggests very different signatures of selection and demography. here, we sequence a new panel of 170 inbred genotypes of a north american population o ...	2018	29228179
the role of species-specific sensory cues in male responses to mating rivals in drosophila melanogaster fruitflies.	complex sets of cues can be important in recognizing and responding to conspecific mating competitors and avoiding potentially costly heterospecific competitive interactions. within drosophila melanogaster, males can detect sensory inputs from conspecifics to assess the level of competition. they respond to rivals by significantly extending mating duration and gain significant fitness benefits from doing so. here, we tested the idea that the multiple sensory cues used by d. melanogaster males to ...	2017	29187965
constitutive up-regulation of turandot genes rather than changes in acclimation ability is associated with the evolutionary adaptation to temperature fluctuations in drosophila simulans.	most research on thermal adaptation of ectotherms is based on experiments performed at constant temperatures. however, for short-lived insects daily fluctuations of temperature could be an important environmental parameter involved in evolutionary adaptation to thermal heterogeneity. in this study we investigated the mechanisms underlying evolutionary adaptation to daily fluctuating temperatures. we studied replicated selection lines of drosophila simulans evolved in a constant or a daily fluctu ...	2018	29175088
male mate choice via cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones drives reproductive isolation between drosophila species.	mate discrimination is a key mechanism restricting gene flow between species. while studied extensively with respect to female mate choice, mechanisms of male mate choice between species are far less studied. thus, we have little knowledge of the relative frequency, importance, or overall contribution of male mate discrimination to reproductive isolation. in the present study, we estimated the relative contributions of male and female choice to reproductive isolation between drosophila simulans ...	2018	29098691
high rate of translocation-based gene birth on the drosophila y chromosome.	the y chromosome is a unique genetic environment defined by a lack of recombination and male-limited inheritance. the drosophila y chromosome has been gradually acquiring genes from the rest of the genome, with only seven y-linked genes being gained over the past 63 million years (0.12 gene gains per million years). using a next-generation sequencing (ngs)-powered genomic scan, we show that gene transfers to the y chromosome are much more common than previously suspected: at least 25 have arisen ...	2017	29078298
the hybrid incompatibility genes lhr and hmr are required for sister chromatid detachment during anaphase but not for centromere function.	crosses between drosophila melanogaster females and drosophila simulans males produce hybrid sons that die at the larval stage. this hybrid lethality is suppressed by loss-of-function mutations in the d. melanogaster hybrid male rescue (hmr) or in the d. simulans lethal hybrid rescue (lhr) genes. previous studies have shown that hmr and lhr interact with heterochromatin proteins and suppress expression of transposable elements within d. melanogaster it also has been proposed that hmr and lhr fun ...	2017	29046402
population genomics of wolbachia and mtdna in drosophila simulans from california.	wolbachia pipientis is an intracellular endosymbiont infecting many arthropods and filarial nematodes. little is known about the short-term evolution of wolbachia or its interaction with its host. wolbachia is maternally inherited, resulting in co-inheritance of mitochondrial organelles such as mtdna. here i explore the evolution of wolbachia, and the relationship between wolbachia and mtdna, using a large inbred panel of drosophila simulans. i compare this to the only other large population gen ...	2017	29042606
adaptive evolution leads to cross-species incompatibility in the pirna transposon silencing machinery.	reproductive isolation defines species divergence and is linked to adaptive evolution of hybrid incompatibility genes. hybrids between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans are sterile, and phenocopy mutations in the piwi interacting rna (pirna) pathway, which silences transposons and shows pervasive adaptive evolution, and drosophila rhino and deadlock encode rapidly evolving components of a complex that binds to pirna clusters. we show that rhino and deadlock interact and co-localize ...	2017	28919205
analysis of cytochrome p450 contribution to evolved plant toxin resistance in drosophila sechellia.	drosophila sechellia is a dietary specialist species of fruit fly that has evolved resistance to the toxic secondary defence compounds produced by the fruit of its preferred host plant morinda citrifolia. the genetic basis of adult toxin resistance is the result of evolution at five loci across the genome. genetic mapping between d. sechellia and drosophila simulans and subsequent functional studies in drosophila melanogaster have identified candidate genes potentially underlying one locus invol ...	2017	28703934
the drosophila simulans y chromosome interacts with the autosomes to influence male fitness.	the y chromosome should degenerate because it cannot recombine. however, male-limited transmission increases selection efficiency for male-benefit alleles on the y, and therefore, y chromosomes should contribute significantly to variation in male fitness. this means that although the drosophila y chromosome is small and gene-poor, y-linked genes are vital for male fertility in drosophila melanogaster and the y chromosome has large male fitness effects. it is unclear whether the same pattern is s ...	2017	28703322
the genetic basis of sexual isolation between drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans.	the genetic analysis of sexual isolation between the closely-related species drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans involved two experiments with no-choice tests. the efficiency of sexual isolation was measured by the frequency of courtship initiation and interspecific mating. we first surveyed the variation in sexual isolation between d. melanogaster strains and d. simulans strains of different geographic origin. then, to investigate variation in sexual isolation within strains, we mad ...	1992	28568993
evolution of broad and specific competitive ability in novel versus familiar environments in drosophila species.	we used nine pairs of competing drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans populations to test three hypotheses. (1) weaker competitors undergo greater evolutionary increases in competitive ability, compared with stronger ones. (2) increased competitive ability against a specific competitor population causes a correlated increase in competitive ability against other competitor populations. (3) in a novel environment, adaptation to the abiotic environment contributes more to competitive abil ...	1996	28568885
wolbachia infection in drosophila simulans: does the female host bear a physiological cost?	fitness traits of three drosophila simulans strains infected by endocellular bacteria belonging to the genus wolbachia have been compared with those of replicate stocks previously cured from the infection by an antibiotic treatment. the traits measured were development time, egg-to-adult viability, egg hatch, productivity, fecundity, and the number of functional ovarioles. individuals of the first strain were bi-infected by two wolbachia variants, wha and wno. the second strain was infected by w ...	1997	28568785
quantitative genetic analysis of divergence in male secondary sexual traits between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana.	the sibling species drosophila simulans and d. mauritiana differ significantly in a number of male secondary sexual traits, providing an ideal system for genetic analysis of interspecific morphological divergence. in the experiment reported here, f1 hybrids from a cross of two inbred lines were backcrossed in both directions and about 200 flies from each backcross were scored for several traits (bristle numbers and cuticle areas), as well as 18 markers distributed throughout the genome. each tra ...	1997	28568599
adaptation and specialization in a two-resource environment in drosophila species.	we assayed two components of performance (development time and survivorship), on food medium with and without ethanol, in laboratory populations of drosophila simulans and d. melanogaster for which ethanol-medium was a novel food resource. these assays were done before and after 12 generations of rearing in either one-(regular medium only) or two-resource (regular medium and ethanol medium) environments. initially, d. simulans was highly susceptible to ethanol, whereas d. melanogaster was relati ...	1997	28568582
evolution of incompatibility-inducing microbes and their hosts.	in many insect species, males infected with microbes related to wolbachia pipientis are "incompatible" with uninfected females. crosses between infected males and uninfected females produce significantly fewer adult progeny than the other three possible crosses. the incompatibility-inducing microbes are usually maternally transmitted. thus, incompatibility tends to confer a reproductive advantage on infected females in polymorphic populations, allowing these infections to spread. this paper anal ...	1994	28568404
a multilevel approach to the significance of genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase of drosophila.	prior studies showed that differences in alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) activity across genotypes of drosophila are decisive for the outcome of selection by ethanol. in the present paper, the effect on adh activity and egg-to-adult survival of combinations of ethanol, propan-2-ol, and acetone in naturally occurring concentrations is examined. propan-2-ol is converted into acetone by adh in vitro. acetone is considered a competitive inhibitor of ethanol for the adh enzymes. the melanogaster-adh-s al ...	1994	28568248
dynamics of p-m hybrid dysgenesis in p-transformed lines of drosophila simulans.	an autonomous p element from drosophila melanogaster was introduced by microinjection into the germ line of its sibling species, drosophila simulans. the invasion kinetics of p elements was studied in seven independent lines over 60 generations, using gel blotting, in situ hybridization, and dysgenic crosses. some of the main phenotypic and molecular characteristics of p-m hybrid dysgenesis were observed, i.e., gonadal dysgenesis (gd sterility), chromosome rearrangements, and the occurrence of d ...	1990	28568199
resistance of the sibling species drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans to high temperatures in relation to humidity: evolutionary implications.		1979	28568073
genetic distance in the sibling species drosophila melanogaster, drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana.		1982	28568044
the genetics of an isolating mechanism between two sibling species of drosophila.	matings between drosophila simulans females and males of the sibling species d. mauritiana are of abnormally short duration. these rapid matings interrupt the transfer of sperm, leading to substantial reproductive isolation in interspecific as compared to intraspecific copulations. genetic analysis of this behavior shows that it is influenced much more by the male than the female genotype, with genes from d. simulans being dominant. in males, shortened copulation is caused by interspecific diver ...	1993	28567909
extinction due to evolution of a competitor.	when drosophila simulans and drosophila funebris were cultured together in population cages over many generations, there was a prolonged period of apparently stable coexistence followed by a rapid exclusion of d. funebris. as both species maintained large population sizes in monocultures it follows that the extinctions of d. funebris in the mixed-species cultures must have been caused by d. simulans. the time to extinction of d. funebris ranged from 26 weeks in one cage, to between 40 and 48 wee ...	1991	28567883
growth temperature and adult pigmentation in two drosophila sibling species: an adaptive convergence of reaction norms in sympatric populations?	phenotypic plasticity of abdomen pigmentation was investigated in populations of the sibling species drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans, living in sympatry in two french localities. ten isofemale lines of each population and species were grown at different constant temperatures spanning their complete thermal range from 12 to 31°c. genetic variability between isofemale lines was not affected by growth temperature, but was consistently less in d. simulans. for all traits, the dark pigmentati ...	1996	28565663
evolution of driving x chromosomes and resistance factors in experimental populations of drosophila simulans.	sex-ratio drive is a particular case of meiotic drive, described in several drosophila species, that causes males bearing driving x chromosome to produce a large excess of females in their progeny. in drosophila simulans, driving x chromosomes and resistance factors located on the y chromosome and on the autosomes have been previously reported. in this paper, we report the study of the dynamics of sex-ratio factors in experimental populations. we followed the evolution in frequency of driving x ...	1999	28565407
describing the evolution of reaction norm shape: body pigmentation in drosophila.	if phenotypic plasticity is a trait subject to selection and evolution, we need to quantify reaction norms and to identify the potential target(s) of selection. previously we proposed the use of polynomial coefficients as reaction norm descriptors. however, the interpretation of these coefficients is not straightforward if the reaction norm is not linear. therefore, we instead propose the use of characteristic values to describe reaction norms. we depict such characteristic values for linear, qu ...	1998	28565397
cytological characterization of premeiotic versus postmeiotic defects producing hybrid male sterility among sibling species of the drosophila melanogaster complex.	in accordance with haldane's rule, hybridizations between species of the drosophila simulans clade produce fertile females but sterile males. in this study, a comprehensive characterization was undertaken on the six types of f1 males that were the result of the crosses between d. simulans, d. sechellia, and d. mauritiana. with the use of light and electron microscopy, it was shown that while each particular hybrid genotype exhibited a specific sterility phenotype, these phenotypes fell into two ...	1998	28565214
the sex-ratio trait in drosophila simulans: geographical distribution of distortion and resistance.	the sex-ratio trait we describe here in drosophila simulans results from x-linked meiotic drive. males bearing a driving x chromosome can produce a large excess of females (about 90%) in their progeny. this is, however, rarely the case in the wild, where resistance factors, including autosomal suppressors and insensitive y chromosomes, prevent the expression of the driver. in this study, we searched for drive and resistance factors in strains of drosophila simulans collected all over the world. ...	1997	28565112
mitochondrial dna polymorphism and cytoplasmic incompatibility in natural populations of drosophila simulans.		1990	28563884
genes affecting courtship song and mating preference in drosophila melanogaster, drosophila simulans and their hybrids.		1981	28563392
oviposition site selection by drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	the effects of texture and larval residues in the medium on oviposition site selection (oss) by drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans were studied. drosophila melanogaster laid over 95% of its eggs in sieved medium (vs. unsieved medium); d. simulans laid all of its eggs in sieved medium. surgical removal of antennal segments, and of fore-, mid-, or hindtarsi did not affect this result, indicating that sense organs involved in discriminating between sieved and unsieved medium are not co ...	1985	28561364
race formation, speciation, and introgression within drosophila simulans, d. mauritiana, and d. sechellia inferred from mitochondrial dna analysis.	mitochondrial dna cleavage maps from three chromosomally homosequential species drosophila simulans, d. mauritiana, and d. sechellia, were established for 12 restriction enzymes. one isofemale strain was studied in d. sechellia (se), 13 in d. simulans, and 17 in d. mauritiana: in the last two species, respectively, three (sii, ii, and iii) and two (mai and ii) cleavage morphs were found. the evolutionary relationships based on mtdna cleavage map comparisons show that the mai and se mtdnas are in ...	1986	28556334
effects of parental photoperiod regime on progeny development time in drosophila simulans.		1986	28556320
evolutionary genetics of two sibling species, drosophila simulans and d. sechellia.	drosophila simulans and d. sechellia are sibling species, the former cosmopolitan and the latter restricted to the seychelles islands. we used classical genetic analysis to measure the numbers and effects of genes responsible for reproductive isolation and morphological differences in male genitalia between these species. at least five loci are responsible for male sterility in hybrids, with the strongest effects produced by at least two genes on the x chromosome. at least three (and probably fo ...	1986	28556167
unidirectional incompatibility between populations of drosophila simulans.	drosophila simulans females from a strain collected at watsonville, ca produce very few offspring when mated with males from a strain collected at riverside 510 km away. this incompatibility does not exist in the reciprocal cross. in the incompatible cross, mating and oviposition are normal, but eggs fail to hatch. a survey of other california populations indicates that unidirectional incompatibility is widespread. the incompatibility is maternally inherited over one generation. using older rive ...	1986	28556160
studies on natural populations of drosophila vi. competition between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.		1967	28556108
temperature effects on life history variation in drosophila simulans.		1983	28556002
drosophila simulans: a species with improved resolution in evolve and resequence studies.	the combination of experimental evolution with high-throughput sequencing of pooled individuals-i.e., evolve and resequence (e&r)-is a powerful approach to study adaptation from standing genetic variation under controlled, replicated conditions. nevertheless, e&r studies in drosophila melanogaster have frequently resulted in inordinate numbers of candidate snps, particularly for complex traits. here, we contrast the genomic signature of adaptation following ∼60 generations in a novel hot environ ...	2017	28546383
transcriptional polymorphism of pirna regulatory genes underlies the mariner activity in d. simulans testes.	during colonization of new areas, natural populations have to deal with changing environments, and transposable elements (tes) can be useful "tools" in the adaptation process since they are major contributor to the structural and functional evolution of genomes. in this general context, the activity (copy number, transcriptional and excision rate) of the mariner mos1 element was estimated in 19 natural populations of d. simulans. it is shown (1) that mos1 expression is always higher and more var ...	2017	28401606
interaction between female and male parts in gynandromorphs of drosophila simulans.		1931	28354041
structure of the transcriptional regulatory network correlates with regulatory divergence in drosophila.	transcriptional control of gene expression is regulated by biochemical interactions between cis-regulatory dna sequences and trans-acting factors that form complex regulatory networks. genetic changes affecting both cis- and trans-acting sequences in these networks have been shown to alter patterns of gene expression as well as higher-order organismal phenotypes. here, we investigate how the structure of these regulatory networks relates to patterns of polymorphism and divergence in gene express ...	2017	28333240
ecological differences and competitive interaction between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans in small laboratory populations.	in interspecific competition studies, some cases of apparent change in competitive ability have been reported. but the change in competitive outcome could equally well be due to character displacement. as a preliminary to studies of the effects of association of d. melanogaster (yellow white mutant strain) and d. simulans (vermilion mutant strain), the nature and extent of ecological differences between them, and the nature of their competitive interaction was studied. differences between the st ...	1971	28313277
preadult competition between colonizing populations of drosophila subobscura and established populations of drosophila simulans in chile.	the palearctic species drosophila subobscura was detected for the first time in chile and probably in the americas in 1978. at present, its distribution area extends between 29°54's and 53°40's, where it has become abundant in both domestic and wild environments, depending on the latitude and the season of the year (appearing at maximum frequency in early spring). the seasonal fluctuations of d. subobscura are the inverse of those of d. simulans, which shares the same habitat in certain regions. ...	1983	28310659
larval reaction to alcohol as an indicator of resource utilization differences between drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans.	newly hatched larvae of drosophila melanogaster derived from southern australian populations (37-38° s) have a strong preference for agar containing alcohol, while larvae of sympatric populations of drosophila simulans show no initial preference. the alcohol preference of a more northern d. melanogaster population (10° s) is lower due to a high level of variability among isofemale strains. this agree with the general principle of decreasing biological diversity with increasing latitude, and is s ...	1977	28309429
the distribution of vineyard populations of drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans during vintage and non-vintage periods.	field studies inside and outside the cellars of the "chateau tahbilk" vineyard have substantiated the distribution data of original collections. d. melanogaster is found inside and outside the cellars while d. simulans is only collected outside. the presence of alcohol fumes in the outside environment during vintage alters the distribution of the species, relative to non-vintage periods, with d. melanogaster being closer to the source. mark-release-recapture experiments suggest that movement by ...	1974	28308614
genetics and the environment in interspecific competition: a study using the sibling species drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	the outcome of interspecific competition of two closely related species may depend upon genetic variation in the two species and the environment in which the experiment is carried out. interspecific competition in the two sibling species, drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans, is usually investigated using longterm laboratory stocks that often have mutant markers that distinguish them. to examine competition in flies that genetically more closely resemble flies in nature, we utilized freshly c ...	1996	28307735
adult population density, fecundity and productivity in drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	single-species cultures of d. melanogaster oregon-r-c and d. simulans v were set up with 5, 50, 100, 200, 300 or 400 pairs of parents. these parents were discarded after 48 hours, and the numbers and wet weights of emerging progeny recorded twice daily. for each culture, the fitness components estimated were total number of progeny, total progeny biomass, average male and average female wet weights, mean developmental period, and sex ratio. d. melanogaster had higher progeny productivity and lon ...	1973	28307208
alcohol tolerance: an ecological parameter in the relative success of drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	laboratory experiments have shown d. melanogaster adults to be more tolerant to alcohol in the environment than d. simulans, with the females being more tolerant than the males of their species. larval development on alcohol supplemented media also demonstrated an increased tolerance by d. melanogaster although the effect was not as clear cut as for the adult survival. oviposition choice experiments demonstrated a marked rejection of alcohol impregnated laying sites by d. simulans when compared ...	1972	28307067
clonal analysis in hybrids between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	we have analysed the viability of cellular clones induced by mitotic recombination in drosophila melanogaster/d. simulans hybrid females during larval growth. these clones contain a portion of either melanogaster or simulans genomes in homozygosity. analysis has been carried out for the x and the second chromosomes, as well as for the 3l chromosome arm. clones were not found in certain structures, and in others they appeared in a very low frequency. only in abdominal tergites was a significant n ...	1994	28305934
genetic and transgenic reagents for drosophila simulans, d. mauritiana, d. yakuba, d. santomea, and d. virilis.	species of the drosophila melanogaster species subgroup, including the species d. simulans, d. mauritiana, d. yakuba, and d. santomea, have long served as model systems for studying evolution. however, studies in these species have been limited by a paucity of genetic and transgenic reagents. here, we describe a collection of transgenic and genetic strains generated to facilitate genetic studies within and between these species. we have generated many strains of each species containing mapped pi ...	2017	28280212
does pupal communication influence wolbachia-mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility?	wolbachia are widespread endosymbiotic bacteria found in terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes [1]. in insects, wolbachia generally rely on diverse strategies to manipulate their host's reproduction and favor their own vertical transmission through infected eggs [2]. one such mechanism is a sterility syndrome called 'cytoplasmic incompatibility'. cytoplasmic incompatibility occurs at fertilization, when a spermatozoon from a wolbachia-infected male fertilizes an uninfected egg. in this c ...	2017	28118585
sex-biased transcriptome divergence along a latitudinal gradient.	sex-dependent gene expression is likely an important genomic mechanism that allows sex-specific adaptation to environmental changes. among drosophila species, sex-biased genes display remarkably consistent evolutionary patterns; male-biased genes evolve faster than unbiased genes in both coding sequence and expression level, suggesting sex differences in selection through time. however, comparatively little is known of the evolutionary process shaping sex-biased expression within species. latitu ...	2017	28100025
structure and ultrastructure of spermatozoon in six species of drosophilidae (diptera).	the drosophilidae family is formed by brachycera diptera distributed widely across different regions of the planet. it is composed of about 4000 species, 304 of which are found in brazil. the objective of this work was to characterize morphologically the structure of the male internal reproductive apparatus and the ultrastructure of the spermatozoon in four neotropical (drosophila cardini, d. mercatorum, d. nebulosa and d. sturtevanti) and two invasive (d. simulans and zaprionus indianus) specie ...	2016	28029387
constrained evolution of the sex comb in drosophila simulans.	male fitness is dependent on sexual traits that influence mate acquisition (precopulatory sexual selection) and paternity (post-copulatory sexual selection), and although many studies have documented the form of selection in one or the other of these arenas, fewer have done it for both. nonetheless, it appears that the dominant form of sexual selection is directional, although theoretically, populations should converge on peaks in the fitness surface, where selection is stabilizing. many factors ...	2017	27859860
natural courtship song variation caused by an intronic retroelement in an ion channel gene.	animal species display enormous variation for innate behaviours, but little is known about how this diversity arose. here, using an unbiased genetic approach, we map a courtship song difference between wild isolates of drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana to a 966 base pair region within the slowpoke (slo) locus, which encodes a calcium-activated potassium channel. using the reciprocal hemizygosity test, we confirm that slo is the causal locus and resolve the causal mutation to the evol ...	2016	27509856
neighboring genes for dna-binding proteins rescue male sterility in drosophila hybrids.	crosses between closely related animal species often result in male hybrids that are sterile, and the molecular and functional basis of genetic factors for hybrid male sterility is of great interest. here, we report a molecular and functional analysis of hms1, a region of 9.2 kb in chromosome 3 of drosophila mauritiana, which results in virtually complete hybrid male sterility when homozygous in the genetic background of sibling species drosophila simulans. the hms1 region contains two strong ca ...	2016	27357670
tropical drosophila pandora carry wolbachia infections causing cytoplasmic incompatibility or male killing.	wolbachia infections have been described in several drosophila species, but relatively few have been assessed for phenotypic effects. cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) is the most common phenotypic effect that has been detected, while some infections cause male killing or feminization, and many wolbachia infections have few host effects. here, we describe two new infections in a recently described species, drosophila pandora, one of which causes near-complete ci and near-perfect maternal transmis ...	2016	27282489
few genetic and environmental correlations between life history and stress resistance traits affect adaptation to fluctuating thermal regimes.	laboratory selection in thermal regimes that differed in the amplitude and the predictability of daily fluctuations had a marked effect on stress resistance and life history traits in drosophila simulans. the observed evolutionary changes are expected to be the result of both direct and correlated responses to selection. thus, a given trait might not evolve independently from other traits because of genetic correlations among these traits. moreover, different test environments can induce novel g ...	2016	27273321
a genomic approach to identify hybrid incompatibility genes.	uncovering the genetic and molecular basis of barriers to gene flow between populations is key to understanding how new species are born. intrinsic postzygotic reproductive barriers such as hybrid sterility and hybrid inviability are caused by deleterious genetic interactions known as hybrid incompatibilities. the difficulty in identifying these hybrid incompatibility genes remains a rate-limiting step in our understanding of the molecular basis of speciation. we recently described how whole gen ...	2016	27230814
correction: hybrid dysgenesis in drosophila simulans associated with a rapid invasion of the p-element.	[this corrects the article doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005920.].	2016	27166958
the first complete mag family retrotransposons discovered in drosophila.	a retrotransposon of the mag family was found in the drosophila simulans genome for the first time. we also identified novel transposable elements representing the mag family in seven drosophila species. the high similarity between the 3' and 5' long terminal repeats in the found copies of transposable elements indicates that their retrotransposition has occurred relatively recently. thus, the mag family of retrotransposons is quite common for the genus drosophila.	2016	27025475
hybrid dysgenesis in drosophila simulans associated with a rapid invasion of the p-element.	in a classic example of the invasion of a species by a selfish genetic element, the p-element was horizontally transferred from a distantly related species into drosophila melanogaster. despite causing 'hybrid dysgenesis', a syndrome of abnormal phenotypes that include sterility, the p-element spread globally in the course of a few decades in d. melanogaster. until recently, its sister species, including d. simulans, remained p-element free. here, we find a hybrid dysgenesis-like phenotype in th ...	2016	26982327
interspecific y chromosome variation is sufficient to rescue hybrid male sterility and is influenced by the grandparental origin of the chromosomes.	y chromosomes display population variation within and between species. co-evolution within populations is expected to produce adaptive interactions between y chromosomes and the rest of the genome. one consequence is that y chromosomes from disparate populations could disrupt harmonious interactions between co-evolved genetic elements and result in reduced male fertility, sterility or inviability. here we address the contribution of 'heterospecific y chromosomes' to fertility in hybrid males car ...	2016	26980343
rapid evolution of a y-chromosome heterochromatin protein underlies sex chromosome meiotic drive.	sex chromosome meiotic drive, the non-mendelian transmission of sex chromosomes, is the expression of an intragenomic conflict that can have extreme evolutionary consequences. however, the molecular bases of such conflicts remain poorly understood. here, we show that a young and rapidly evolving x-linked heterochromatin protein 1 (hp1) gene, hp1d2, plays a key role in the classical paris sex-ratio (sr) meiotic drive occurring in drosophila simulans driver hp1d2 alleles prevent the segregation of ...	2016	26979956
genomic patterns of geographic differentiation in drosophila simulans.	geographic patterns of genetic differentiation have long been used to understand population history and to learn about the biological mechanisms of adaptation. here we present an examination of genomic patterns of differentiation between northern and southern populations of australian and north american drosophila simulans, with an emphasis on characterizing signals of parallel differentiation. we report on the genomic scale of differentiation and functional enrichment of outlier snps. while, ov ...	2016	26801179
inference of directional selection and mutation parameters assuming equilibrium.	in a classical study, wright (1931) proposed a model for the evolution of a biallelic locus under the influence of mutation, directional selection and drift. he derived the equilibrium distribution of the allelic proportion conditional on the scaled mutation rate, the mutation bias and the scaled strength of directional selection. the equilibrium distribution can be used for inference of these parameters with genome-wide datasets of "site frequency spectra" (sfs). assuming that the scaled mutati ...	2015	26597774
comparative population genomics of latitudinal variation in drosophila simulans and drosophila melanogaster.	examples of clinal variation in phenotypes and genotypes across latitudinal transects have served as important models for understanding how spatially varying selection and demographic forces shape variation within species. here, we examine the selective and demographic contributions to latitudinal variation through the largest comparative genomic study to date of drosophila simulans and drosophila melanogaster, with genomic sequence data from 382 individual fruit flies, collected across a spatia ...	2016	26523848
maternal effect and speciation: maternal effect contributes to the evolution of hybrid inviability between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana.	haldane's rule has been the basis of speciation research during the last 30 years. most studies have focused on the nature of incompatibilities in the hybrid male, but not much attention has been given to the genetic basis of fertility and inviability in hybrid females. hybridizations between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana produce fertile females and sterile males. here, we re-examined the level of fertility in reciprocal f1 females of these two species and looked for the presence ...	2015	26436586
expression divergence of chemosensory genes between drosophila sechellia and its sibling species and its implications for host shift.	drosophila sechellia relies exclusively on the fruits of morinda citrifolia, which are toxic to most insects, including its sibling species drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans. although several odorant binding protein (obp) genes and olfactory receptor (or) genes have been suggested to be associated with the d. sechellia host shift, a broad view of how chemosensory genes have contributed to this shift is still lacking. we therefore studied the transcriptomes of antennae, the main org ...	2015	26430061
differences in larval nutritional requirements and female oviposition preference reflect the order of fruit colonization of zaprionus indianus and drosophila simulans.	species coexist using the same nutritional resource by partitioning it either in space or time, but few studies explore how species-specific nutritional requirements allow partitioning. zaprionus indianus and drosophila simulans co-exist in figs by invading the fruit at different stages; z. indianus colonizes ripe figs, whereas d. simulans oviposits in decaying fruit. larvae feed on yeast growing on the fruit, which serves as their primary protein source. because yeast populations increase as fr ...	2015	26358399
correction: a re-examination of wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility in california drosophila simulans.		2015	26348356
phenotypic plasticity is not affected by experimental evolution in constant, predictable or unpredictable fluctuating thermal environments.	the selective past of populations is presumed to affect the levels of phenotypic plasticity. experimental evolution at constant temperatures is generally expected to lead to a decreased level of plasticity due to presumed costs associated with phenotypic plasticity when not needed. in this study, we investigated the effect of experimental evolution in constant, predictable and unpredictable daily fluctuating temperature regimes on the levels of phenotype plasticity in several life history and st ...	2015	26299271
tandem duplications and the limits of natural selection in drosophila yakuba and drosophila simulans.	tandem duplications are an essential source of genetic novelty, and their variation in natural populations is expected to influence adaptive walks. here, we describe evolutionary impacts of recently-derived, segregating tandem duplications in drosophila yakuba and drosophila simulans. we observe an excess of duplicated genes involved in defense against pathogens, insecticide resistance, chorion development, cuticular peptides, and lipases or endopeptidases associated with the accessory glands ac ...	2015	26176952
seasonal variation in life history traits in two drosophila species.	seasonal environmental heterogeneity is cyclic, persistent and geographically widespread. in species that reproduce multiple times annually, environmental changes across seasonal time may create different selection regimes that may shape the population ecology and life history adaptation in these species. here, we investigate how two closely related species of drosophila in a temperate orchard respond to environmental changes across seasonal time. natural populations of drosophila melanogaster a ...	2015	26174167
effects of heat and uv radiation on the mobilization of transposon mariner-mos1.	there are many complex interactions between transposable elements (tes) and host genomes. environmental changes that induce stressful conditions help to contribute for increasing complexity of these interactions. the transposon mariner-mos1 increases its mobilization under mild heat stress. it has putative heat shock elements (hses), which are probably activated by heat shock factors (hsfs). ultraviolet radiation (uvc) is a stressor that has been suggested as able to activate heat shock protein ...	2015	26092118
a drosophila model for mito-nuclear diseases generated by an incompatible interaction between trna and trna synthetase.	communication between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is vital for cellular function. the assembly of mitochondrial enzyme complexes, which produce the majority of cellular energy, requires the coordinated expression and translation of both mitochondrially and nuclear-encoded proteins. the joint genetic architecture of this system complicates the basis of mitochondrial diseases, and mutations both in mitochondrial dna (mtdna)- and nuclear-encoded genes have been implicated in mitochondrial ...	2015	26035388
lineage-specific evolution of the complex nup160 hybrid incompatibility between drosophila melanogaster and its sister species.	two genes encoding protein components of the nuclear pore complex nup160 and nup96 cause lethality in f2-like hybrid genotypes between drosophila simulans and drosophila melanogaster. in particular, d. simulans nup160 and nup96 each cause inviability when hemizygous or homozygous in species hybrids that are also hemizygous (or homozygous) for the d. melanogaster x chromosome. the hybrid lethality of nup160, however, is genetically complex, depending on one or more unknown additional factors in t ...	2015	26022241
the recent invasion of natural drosophila simulans populations by the p-element.	the p-element is one of the best understood eukaryotic transposable elements. it invaded drosophila melanogaster populations within a few decades but was thought to be absent from close relatives, including drosophila simulans. five decades after the spread in d. melanogaster, we provide evidence that the p-element has also invaded d. simulans. p-elements in d. simulans appear to have been acquired recently from d. melanogaster probably via a single horizontal transfer event. expression data ind ...	2015	25964349
no evidence for external genital morphology affecting cryptic female choice and reproductive isolation in drosophila.	genitalia are one of the most rapidly diverging morphological features in animals. the evolution of genital morphology is proposed to be driven by sexual selection via cryptic female choice, whereby a female selectively uptakes and uses a particular male's sperm on the basis of male genital morphology. the resulting shifts in genital morphology within a species can lead to divergence in genitalia between species, and consequently to reproductive isolation and speciation. although this conceptual ...	2015	25962316
genetic architecture and functional characterization of genes underlying the rapid diversification of male external genitalia between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana.	male sexual characters are often among the first traits to diverge between closely related species and identifying the genetic basis of such changes can contribute to our understanding of their evolutionary history. however, little is known about the genetic architecture or the specific genes underlying the evolution of male genitalia. the morphology of the claspers, posterior lobes, and anal plates exhibit striking differences between drosophila mauritiana and d. simulans. using qtl and introgr ...	2015	25783699
inbreeding alters intersexual fitness correlations in drosophila simulans.	intralocus sexual conflict results from sexually antagonistic selection on traits shared by the sexes. this can displace males and females from their respective fitness optima, and negative intersexual correlations (r mf) for fitness are the unequivocal indicator of this evolutionary conflict. it has recently been suggested that intersexual fitness correlations can vary depending on the segregating genetic variation present in a population, and one way to alter genetic variation and test this id ...	2014	25535550
wolbachia small noncoding rnas and their role in cross-kingdom communications.	in prokaryotes, small noncoding rnas (snrnas) of 50-500 nt are produced that are important in bacterial virulence and response to environmental stimuli. here, we identified and characterized snrnas from the endosymbiotic bacteria, wolbachia, which are widespread in invertebrates and cause reproductive manipulations. most importantly, some strains of wolbachia inhibit replication of several vector-borne pathogens in insects. we demonstrate that two abundant snrnas, wsnrna-46 and wsnrna-49, are ex ...	2014	25512495
the taste of togetherness.	the larvae of fruit flies produce pheromones to control whether they are attracted to others of the same species or whether they avoid members of a different species.	2014	25497434
evolved differences in larval social behavior mediated by novel pheromones.	pheromones, chemical signals that convey social information, mediate many insect social behaviors, including navigation and aggregation. several studies have suggested that behavior during the immature larval stages of drosophila development is influenced by pheromones, but none of these compounds or the pheromone-receptor neurons that sense them have been identified. here we report a larval pheromone-signaling pathway. we found that larvae produce two novel long-chain fatty acids that are attra ...	2014	25497433
positive selection at a seminal fluid gene within a qtl for conspecific sperm precedence.	the role of sexual selection in driving the rapid evolution of male reproductive proteins has been tested in a wide variety of organisms. sperm competition is a form of postmating sexual selection that can contribute to reproductive isolation between species by biasing the proportion of progeny fathered by conspecific over heterospecific males. this phenomenon is known as conspecific sperm precedence (csp). a previous quantitative trait loci study between drosophila simulans and d. sechellia ide ...	2014	25417008
normal segregation of a foreign-species chromosome during drosophila female meiosis despite extensive heterochromatin divergence.	the abundance and composition of heterochromatin changes rapidly between species and contributes to hybrid incompatibility and reproductive isolation. heterochromatin differences may also destabilize chromosome segregation and cause meiotic drive, the non-mendelian segregation of homologous chromosomes. here we use a range of genetic and cytological assays to examine the meiotic properties of a drosophila simulans chromosome 4 (sim-iv) introgressed into d. melanogaster. these two species differ ...	2015	25406466
individual genetic contributions to genital shape variation between drosophila simulans and d. mauritiana.	external genitalia are one of the most rapidly evolving morphological features in insects. in the drosophila melanogaster species subgroup, males possess a nonfertilizing external genital structure, called the posterior lobe, which is highly divergent among even closely related species. a previous study on this subgroup mapped two genomic regions that affect lobe size and four that affect lobe shape differences between d. mauritiana and d. sechellia; none of the regions affected both size and sh ...	2014	25313344
differential responses to artificial selection on oviposition site preferences in drosophila melanogaster and d. simulans.	the preference-performance relationship in plant-insect interactions is a central theme in evolutionary ecology. among many insects, eggs are vulnerable and larvae have limited mobility, making the choice of an appropriate oviposition site one of the most important decisions for a female. we investigated the evolution of oviposition preferences in drosophila melanogaster meigen and drosophila simulans sturtevant by artificially selecting for the preference for 2 natural resources, grape and quin ...	2015	25263841
no patterns in thermal plasticity along a latitudinal gradient in drosophila simulans from eastern australia.	phenotypic plasticity may be an important initial mechanism to counter environmental change, yet we know relatively little about the evolution of plasticity in nature. species with widespread distributions are expected to have evolved higher levels of plasticity compared with those with more restricted, tropical distributions. at the intraspecific level, temperate populations are expected to have evolved higher levels of plasticity than their tropical counterparts. however, empirical support for ...	2014	25262984
symbionts commonly provide broad spectrum resistance to viruses in insects: a comparative analysis of wolbachia strains.	in the last decade, bacterial symbionts have been shown to play an important role in protecting hosts against pathogens. wolbachia, a widespread symbiont in arthropods, can protect drosophila and mosquito species against viral infections. we have investigated antiviral protection in 19 wolbachia strains originating from 16 drosophila species after transfer into the same genotype of drosophila simulans. we found that approximately half of the strains protected against two rna viruses. given that ...	2014	25233341
the role of rdl in resistance to phenylpyrazoles in drosophila melanogaster.	extensive use of older generation insecticides may result in pre-existing cross-resistance to new chemical classes acting at the same target site. phenylpyrazole insecticides block inhibitory neurotransmission in insects via their action on ligand-gated chloride channels (lgccs). phenylpyrazoles are broad-spectrum insecticides widely used in agriculture and domestic pest control. so far, all identified cases of target site resistance to phenylpyrazoles are based on mutations in the rdl (resistan ...	2014	25193377
genome diversity and divergence in drosophila mauritiana: multiple signatures of faster x evolution.	drosophila mauritiana is an indian ocean island endemic species that diverged from its two sister species, drosophila simulans and drosophila sechellia, approximately 240,000 years ago. multiple forms of incomplete reproductive isolation have evolved among these species, including sexual, gametic, ecological, and intrinsic postzygotic barriers, with crosses among all three species conforming to haldane's rule: f(1) hybrid males are sterile and f(1) hybrid females are fertile. extensive genetic r ...	2014	25193308
a test of double interspecific introgression of nucleoporin genes in drosophila.	in interspecific hybrids between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans, the d. simulans nucleoporin-encoding nup96(sim) and nup160(sim) can cause recessive lethality if the hybrid does not also inherit the d. simulans x chromosome. in addition, nup160(sim) leads to recessive female sterility in the d. melanogaster genetic background. here, we conducted carefully controlled crosses to better understandthe relationship between nup96(sim) and nup160(sim). nup96(sim) did not lead to female ...	2014	25172915
the magnitude of behavioral isolation is affected by characteristics of the mating community.	gene exchange between species occurs in areas of secondary contact, where two species have the opportunity to hybridize. if heterospecific males are more common than conspecific males, females will experience more encounters with males of other species. these encounters might increase the likelihood of heterospecific matings, and lead to the production of hybrid progeny. i studied the mating behavior of two pairs of sibling species endemic to africa: drosophila yakuba/drosophila santomea and dro ...	2014	25165530
predictability rather than amplitude of temperature fluctuations determines stress resistance in a natural population of drosophila simulans.	the adaptability of organisms to novel environmental conditions depends on the amount of genetic variance present in the population as well as on the ability of individuals to adjust their phenotype through phenotypic plasticity. here, we investigated the phenotypic plasticity induced by a single generation's exposure to three different temperature regimes with respect to several life-history and stress-resistance traits in a natural population of drosophila simulans. we studied a constant as we ...	2014	25146297
an x-linked sex ratio distorter in drosophila simulans that kills or incapacitates both noncarrier sperm and sons.	genomic conflict occurs when a genomic component gains a reproductive advantage at the expense of the organism as a whole. x-linked segregation distorters kill or incapacitate y-bearing sperm, thereby gaining a transmission advantage but also reducing male fertility and generating a female-biased sex ratio. when some damaged, y-bearing sperm survive and fertilize eggs, then the segregation distortion phenotype could be expanded by harming or killing sons in the next generation. x-linked son-kill ...	2014	25081980
niche construction initiates the evolution of mutualistic interactions.	niche construction theory explains how organisms' niche modifications may feed back to affect their evolutionary trajectories. in theory, the evolution of other species accessing the same modified niche may also be affected. we propose that this niche construction may be a general mechanism driving the evolution of mutualisms. drosophilid flies benefit from accessing yeast-infested fruits, but the consequences of this interaction for yeasts are unknown. we reveal high levels of variation among s ...	2014	25041133
genome assembly and annotation of a drosophila simulans strain from madagascar.	drosophila simulans is a close relative of the genetic model d. melanogaster. its worldwide distribution in combination with the absence of segregating chromosomal inversions makes this species an increasingly attractive model to study the molecular signatures of adaptation in natural and experimental populations. in an effort to improve the genomic resources for d. simulans, we assembled and annotated the genome of a strain originating from madagascar (m252), the ancestral range of d. simulans. ...	2015	24961367
effects of female behavior on wing display and courtship of male drosophila simulans and drosophila melanogaster.	corrolations between female rejection behaviors and male wing display were calculated for both drosophila simulans and drosophila melanogaster intraspicific pair-matings. no significant correlations were found for d. melanogaster, but in d. simulans flicking by the female appeared to be associated with a shift in male wing display pattern resulting in higher levels of vibration. flicking did not appear to discourage courtship by males in either species.	1981	24925614
high anti-viral protection without immune upregulation after interspecies wolbachia transfer.	wolbachia, endosymbionts that reside naturally in up to 40-70% of all insect species, are some of the most prevalent intracellular bacteria. both wolbachia wau, naturally associated with drosophila simulans, and wmel, native to drosophila melanogaster, have been previously described to protect their hosts against viral infections. wmel transferred to d. simulans was also shown to have a strong antiviral effect. here we directly compare one of the most protective wmel variants and wau in d. melan ...	2014	24911519
environmental heterogeneity, multivariate sexual selection and genetic constraints on cuticular hydrocarbons in drosophila simulans.	sexual selection is responsible for the evolution of many elaborate traits, but sexual trait evolution could be influenced by opposing natural selection as well as genetic constraints. as such, the evolution of sexual traits could depend heavily on the environment if trait expression and attractiveness vary between environments. here, male drosophila simulans were reared across a range of diets and temperatures, and we examined differences between these environments in terms of (i) the expressio ...	2014	24779049