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
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
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
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
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
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
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
genetic and developmental analysis of differences in eye and face morphology between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana.	eye and head morphology vary considerably among insects and even between closely related species of drosophila. species of the d. melanogaster subgroup, and other drosophila species, exhibit a negative correlation between eye size and face width (fw); for example, d. mauritiana generally has bigger eyes composed of larger ommatidia and conversely a narrower face than its sibling species. to better understand the evolution of eye and head morphology, we investigated the genetic and developmental ...	2017	23809700
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
hybridization occurs between drosophila simulans and d. sechellia in the seychelles archipelago.	drosophila simulans and d. sechellia are sister species that serve as a model to study the evolution of reproductive isolation. while d. simulans is a human commensal that has spread all over the world, d. sechellia is restricted to the seychelles archipelago and is found to breed exclusively on the toxic fruit of morinda citrifolia. we surveyed the relative frequency of males from these two species in a variety of substrates found on five islands of the seychelles archipelago. we sampled differ ...	2014	24773151
distinguishing migration from isolation using genes with intragenic recombination: detecting introgression in the drosophila simulans species complex.	determining the presence or absence of gene flow between populations is the target of some statistical methods in population genetics. until recently, these methods either avoided the use of recombining genes, or treated recombination as a nuisance parameter. however, genes with recombination contribute additional information for the detection of gene flow (i.e. through linkage disequilibrium).	2014	24762206
drosophila adult and larval pheromones modulate larval food choice.	insects use chemosensory cues to feed and mate. in drosophila, the effect of pheromones has been extensively investigated in adults, but rarely in larvae. the colonization of natural food sources by drosophila buzzatii and drosophila simulans species may depend on species-specific chemical cues left in the food by larvae and adults. we identified such chemicals in both species and measured their influence on larval food preference and puparation behaviour. we also tested compounds that varied be ...	2014	24741012
landscape of standing variation for tandem duplications in drosophila yakuba and drosophila simulans.	we have used whole genome paired-end illumina sequence data to identify tandem duplications in 20 isofemale lines of drosophila yakuba and 20 isofemale lines of d. simulans and performed genome wide validation with pacbio long molecule sequencing. we identify 1,415 tandem duplications that are segregating in d. yakuba as well as 975 duplications in d. simulans, indicating greater variation in d. yakuba. additionally, we observe high rates of secondary deletions at duplicated sites, with 8% of du ...	2014	24710518
what the x has to do with it: differences in regulatory variability between the sexes in drosophila simulans.	the mechanistic basis of regulatory variation and the prevailing evolutionary forces shaping that variation are known to differ between sexes and between chromosomes. regulatory variation of gene expression can be due to functional changes within a gene itself (cis) or in other genes elsewhere in the genome (trans). the evolutionary properties of cis mutations are expected to differ from mutations affecting gene expression in trans. we analyze allele-specific expression across a set of x substit ...	2014	24696400
variable expression levels detected in the drosophila effectors of pirna biogenesis.	pirnas (piwi-interacting rnas) are a class of small interfering rnas that play a major role in the regulation of transposable elements (tes) in drosophila and are considered of fundamental importance in gonadal development. genes encoding the effectors of the pirna machinery are thus often thought to be highly constrained. on the contrary, as actors of genetic immunity, these genes have also been shown to evolve rapidly and display a high level of sequence variability. in order to assess the sup ...	2014	24361206
contribution of the x chromosome to a marked reduction in lifespan in interspecies female hybrids of drosophila simulans and d. mauritiana.	when two species come into contact and interbreed, the production of unfit hybrids can limit or prevent gene flow between the populations, thus maintaining each species' separate identity. the genetic basis of this hybrid dysfunction has recently begun to be elucidated, particularly for hybrid sterility and inviability. although these dysfunctions can certainly act as a barrier to gene flow, other post-zygotic barriers may also play an important role in isolating species from one another. this s ...	2014	24118420
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
limited gene misregulation is exacerbated by allele-specific upregulation in lethal hybrids between drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans.	misregulation of gene expression is often observed in interspecific hybrids and is generally attributed to regulatory incompatibilities caused by divergence between the two genomes. however, it has been challenging to distinguish effects of regulatory divergence from secondary effects including developmental and physiological defects common to hybrids. here, we use rna-seq to profile gene expression in f1 hybrid male larvae from crosses of drosophila melanogaster to its sibling species d. simula ...	2014	24723419
genomic regions harboring insecticide resistance-associated cyp genes are enriched by transposable element fragments carrying putative transcription factor binding sites in two sibling drosophila species.	in the present study, an in silico analysis was performed to identify transposable element (te) fragments inserted in cyps with functions associated with resistance to insecticides and developmental regulation as well as in neighboring genes in two sibling species, drosophila melanogaster and drosophila simulans. the cyps associated with insecticide resistance and their neighboring non-cyp genes have accumulated a greater number of te fragments than the other cyps or a random sample of genes, pr ...	2014	24361809
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
what can symbiont titres tell us about co-evolution of wolbachia and their host?	there is a long-standing prediction that associations with vertically transmitted symbionts evolve towards maximisation of host reproductive success, eventually leading to mutualist symbiosis and coadaptation. under this scenario, the regulation of symbiont titres in host tissues would be expected to be greater when partners have coevolved for a long time than when they have recently met. wolbachia pipientis, a common vertically transmitted symbiont of invertebrates, often has the capacity to sp ...	2014	24594301
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
comparative gene expression analysis of dtg, a novel target gene of dpp signaling pathway in the early drosophila melanogaster embryo.	in the early drosophila melanogaster embryo, dpp, a secreted molecule that belongs to the tgf-β superfamily of growth factors, activates a set of downstream genes to subdivide the dorsal region into amnioserosa and dorsal epidermis. here, we examined the expression pattern and transcriptional regulation of dtg, a new target gene of dpp signaling pathway that is required for proper amnioserosa differentiation. we showed that the expression of dtg was controlled by dpp and characterized a 524-bp e ...	2014	24321690
the impact of wolbachia, male age and mating history on cytoplasmic incompatibility and sperm transfer in drosophila simulans.	most insects harbour a variety of maternally inherited endosymbionts, the most widespread being wolbachia pipientis that commonly induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) and reduced hatching success in crosses between infected males and uninfected females. high temperature and increasing male age are known to reduce the level of ci in a variety of insects. in drosophila simulans, infected males have been shown to mate at a higher rate than uninfected males. by examining the impact of mating rate ...	2014	24164708
evolutionary changes in gene expression, coding sequence and copy-number at the cyp6g1 locus contribute to resistance to multiple insecticides in drosophila.	widespread use of insecticides has led to insecticide resistance in many populations of insects. in some populations, resistance has evolved to multiple pesticides. in drosophila melanogaster, resistance to multiple classes of insecticide is due to the overexpression of a single cytochrome p450 gene, cyp6g1. overexpression of cyp6g1 appears to have evolved in parallel in drosophila simulans, a sibling species of d. melanogaster, where it is also associated with insecticide resistance. however, i ...	2014	24416303
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
the roles of cis- and trans-regulation in the evolution of regulatory incompatibilities and sexually dimorphic gene expression.	evolutionary changes in gene expression underlie many aspects of phenotypic diversity within and among species. understanding the genetic basis for evolved changes in gene expression is therefore an important component of a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of phenotypic evolution. using interspecific introgression hybrids, we examined the genetic basis for divergence in genome-wide patterns of gene expression between drosophila simulans and drosophila mauritiana. we find that cis ...	2014	24043293
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
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
uncovering wolbachia diversity upon artificial host transfer.	the common endosymbiotic wolbachia bacteria influence arthropod hosts in multiple ways. they are mostly recognized for their manipulations of host reproduction, yet, more recent studies demonstrate that wolbachia also impact host behavior, metabolic pathways and immunity. besides their biological and evolutionary roles, wolbachia are new potential biological control agents for pest and vector management. importantly, wolbachia-based control strategies require controlled symbiont transfer between ...	2013	24376534
rapid sequential spread of two wolbachia variants in drosophila simulans.	the maternally inherited intracellular bacteria wolbachia can manipulate host reproduction in various ways that foster frequency increases within and among host populations. manipulations involving cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), where matings between infected males and uninfected females produce non-viable embryos, are common in arthropods and produce a reproductive advantage for infected females. ci was associated with the spread of wolbachia variant wri in californian populations of drosoph ...	2013	24068927
comparative genomics of wolbachia and the bacterial species concept.	the importance of host-specialization to speciation processes in obligate host-associated bacteria is well known, as is also the ability of recombination to generate cohesion in bacterial populations. however, whether divergent strains of highly recombining intracellular bacteria, such as wolbachia, can maintain their genetic distinctness when infecting the same host is not known. we first developed a protocol for the genome sequencing of uncultivable endosymbionts. using this method, we have se ...	2013	23593012
rapid diversification of sperm precedence traits and processes among three sibling drosophila species.	postcopulatory sexual selection is credited with driving rapid evolutionary diversification of reproductive traits and the formation of reproductive isolating barriers between species. this judgment, however, has largely been inferred rather than demonstrated due to general lack of knowledge about processes and traits underlying variation in competitive fertilization success. here, we resolved processes determining sperm fate in twice-mated females, using transgenic drosophila simulans and droso ...	2013	23888856
variation of gene expression associated with colonisation of an anthropized environment: comparison between african and european populations of drosophila simulans.	the comparison of transcriptome profiles among populations is a powerful tool for investigating the role of gene expression change in adaptation to new environments. in this study, we use massively parallel sequencing of 3' cdnas obtained from large samples of adult males, to compare a population of drosophila simulans from a natural reserve within its ancestral range (eastern africa) with a derived population collected in the strongly anthropized rhône valley (france). the goal was to scan for ...	2013	24260296
modelling a wolbachia invasion using a slow-fast dispersal reaction-diffusion approach.	this paper uses a reaction-diffusion approach to examine the dynamics in the spread of a wolbachia infection within a population of mosquitoes in a homogeneous environment. the formulated model builds upon an earlier model by skalski and gilliam (am. nat. 161(3):441-458, 2003), which incorporates a slow and fast dispersal mode. this generates a faster wavespeed than previous reaction-diffusion approaches, which have been found to produce wavespeeds that are unrealistically slow when compared wit ...	2013	23756849
infection, growth and maintenance of wolbachia pipientis in clonal and non-clonal aedes albopictus cell cultures.	insect cell lines provide useful in vitro models for studying biological systems, including interactions between mosquitoes and obligate intracellular endosymbionts such as wolbachia pipientis. the aedes albopictus aa23 cell line was the first cell line developed to allow examination of wolbachia infections. however, wolbachia studies using aa23 can be complicated by the presence of different cell types in the cell line and the substantial temporal variation in infection level. two approaches we ...	2013	23113940
genome-wide patterns of natural variation reveal strong selective sweeps and ongoing genomic conflict in drosophila mauritiana.	although it is well understood that selection shapes the polymorphism pattern in drosophila, signatures of classic selective sweeps are scarce. here, we focus on drosophila mauritiana, an island endemic, which is closely related to drosophila melanogaster. based on a new, annotated genome sequence, we characterized the genome-wide polymorphism by sequencing pooled individuals (pool-seq). we show that the interplay between selection and recombination results in a genome-wide polymorphism pattern ...	2013	23051690
a pair of centromeric proteins mediates reproductive isolation in drosophila species.	speciation involves the reproductive isolation of natural populations due to the sterility or lethality of their hybrids. however, the molecular basis of hybrid lethality and the evolutionary driving forces that provoke it remain largely elusive. the hybrid male rescue (hmr) and the lethal hybrid rescue (lhr) genes serve as a model to study speciation in drosophilids because their interaction causes lethality in male hybrid offspring. here, we show that hmr and lhr form a centromeric complex nec ...	2013	24239514
selectivity and plasticity in a sound-evoked male-male interaction in drosophila.	during courtship, many animals, including insects, birds, fish, and mammals, utilize acoustic signals to transmit information about species identity. although auditory communication is crucial across phyla, the neuronal and physiologic processes are poorly understood. sound-evoked chaining behavior, a display of homosexual courtship behavior in drosophila males, has long been used as an excellent model for analyzing auditory behavior responses, outcomes of acoustic perception and higher-order br ...	2013	24086330
more accurate phylogenies inferred from low-recombination regions in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting.	when speciation events occur in rapid succession, incomplete lineage sorting (ils) can cause disagreement among individual gene trees. the probability that ils affects a given locus is directly related to its effective population size (ne ), which in turn is proportional to the recombination rate if there is strong selection across the genome. based on these expectations, we hypothesized that low-recombination regions of the genome, as well as sex chromosomes and nonrecombining chromosomes, shou ...	2013	23888858
a second-generation assembly of the drosophila simulans genome provides new insights into patterns of lineage-specific divergence.	we create a new assembly of the drosophila simulans genome using 142 million paired short-read sequences and previously published data for strain w(501). our assembly represents a higher-quality genomic sequence with greater coverage, fewer misassemblies, and, by several indexes, fewer sequence errors. evolutionary analysis of this genome reference sequence reveals interesting patterns of lineage-specific divergence that are different from those previously reported. specifically, we find that dr ...	2013	22936249
pupariation site preference within and between drosophila sibling species.	holometabolous insects pass through a sedentary pupal stage and often choose a location for pupation that is different from the site of larval feeding. we have characterized a difference in pupariation site choice within and between sibling species of drosophila. we found that, in nature, drosophila sechellia pupariate within their host fruit, morinda citrifolia, and that they perform this behavior in laboratory assays. in contrast, in the laboratory, geographically diverse strains of drosophila ...	2013	24033178
genetic analysis of mate discrimination in drosophila simulans.	courtship is an elaborate behavior that conveys information about the identity of animal species and suitability of individual males as mates. in drosophila, there is extensive evidence that females are capable of evaluating and comparing male courtships, and accepting or rejecting males as mates. these relatively simple responses minimize random sexual encounters involving subpar conspecific males and heterospecific males, and over generations can potentially select novel physical and behaviora ...	2013	23888855
a selective sweep across species boundaries in drosophila.	adaptive mutations that accumulate during species divergence are likely to contribute to reproductive incompatibilities and hinder gene flow; however, there may also be a class of mutations that are generally advantageous and can spread across species boundaries. in this study, we characterize a 15 kb region on chromosome 3r that has introgressed from the cosmopolitan generalist species drosophila simulans into the island endemic d. sechellia, which is an ecological specialist. the introgressed ...	2013	23827876
paternal transmission of mitochondrial dna as an integral part of mitochondrial inheritance in metapopulations of drosophila simulans.	maternal inheritance is one of the hallmarks of animal mitochondrial dna (mtdna) and central to its success as a molecular marker. this mode of inheritance and subsequent lack of heterologous recombination allows us to retrace evolutionary relationships unambiguously down the matriline and without the confounding effects of recombinant genetic information. accumulating evidence of biparental inheritance of mtdna (paternal leakage), however, challenges our current understanding of how this molecu ...	2013	23010820
divergence of water balance mechanisms in two sibling species (drosophila simulans and d. melanogaster): effects of growth temperatures.	drosophila simulans is more abundant under colder and drier montane habitats in the western himalayas as compared to its sibling d. melanogaster but the mechanistic bases of such climatic adaptations are largely unknown. previous studies have described d. simulans as a desiccation sensitive species which is inconsistent with its occurrence in temperate regions. we tested the hypothesis whether developmental plasticity of cuticular traits confers adaptive changes in water balance-related traits i ...	2013	23080219
local dynamics of a fast-evolving sex-ratio system in drosophila simulans.	by distorting mendelian transmission to their own advantage, x-linked meiotic drive elements can rapidly spread in natural populations, generating a sex-ratio bias. one expected consequence is the triggering of a co-evolutionary arms race between the sex chromosome that carries the distorter and suppressors counteracting its effect. such an arms race has been theoretically and experimentally established and can have many evolutionary consequences. however, its dynamics in contemporary population ...	2013	24118375
postcopulatory sexual selection generates speciation phenotypes in drosophila.	identifying traits that reproductively isolate species, and the selective forces underlying their divergence, is a central goal of evolutionary biology and speciation research. there is growing recognition that postcopulatory sexual selection, which can drive rapid diversification of interacting ejaculate and female reproductive tract traits that mediate sperm competition, may be an engine of speciation. conspecific sperm precedence (csp) is a taxonomically widespread form of reproductive isolat ...	2013	24076241
stress-induced plastic responses in drosophila simulans following exposure to combinations of temperature and humidity levels.	plastic responses to heat and desiccation stress in insects have been studied in many laboratory experiments on drosophila. however, in these studies the possible interaction between the corresponding stress factors in natural environments has not been taken into consideration. we investigated changes in heat and desiccation resistance of adult drosophila simulans after short-term exposures to different temperatures (35, 31 and 18°c) in combination with high and low relative humidity (ca. 90 and ...	2013	24072792
a novel approach identifying hybrid sterility qtl on the autosomes of drosophila simulans and d. mauritiana.	when species interbreed, the hybrid offspring that are produced are often sterile. if only one hybrid sex is sterile, it is almost always the heterogametic (xy or zw) sex. taking this trend into account, the predominant model used to explain the genetic basis of f1 sterility involves a deleterious interaction between recessive sex-linked loci from one species and dominant autosomal loci from the other species. this model is difficult to evaluate, however, as only a handful of loci influencing in ...	2013	24039910