Sex determination systems as the interface between male-killing bacteria and their hosts

Hornett, Emily A, Kageyama, Daisuke and Hurst, Gregory DD ORCID: 0000-0002-7163-7784 (2022) Sex determination systems as the interface between male-killing bacteria and their hosts. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 289 (1972). 20212781-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2781

Abstract

Arthropods host a range of sex-ratio-distorting selfish elements, including diverse maternally inherited endosymbionts that solely kill infected males. Male-killing heritable microbes are common, reach high frequency, but until recently have been poorly understood in terms of the host-microbe interaction. Additionally, while male killing should generate strong selection for host resistance, evidence of this has been scant. The interface of the microbe with host sex determination is integral to the understanding of how death is sex limited and how hosts can evolve evasion of male killing. We first review current knowledge of the mechanisms diverse endosymbionts use to induce male-specific death. We then examine recent evidence that these agents do produce intense selection for host nuclear suppressor elements. We argue, from our understanding of male-killing mechanisms, that suppression will commonly involve evolution of the host sex determination pathways and that the host's response to male-killing microbes thus represents an unrecognized driver of the diversity of arthropod sex determination. Further work is required to identify the genes and mechanisms responsible for male-killing suppression, which will both determine the components of sex determination (or other) systems associated with suppressor evolution, and allow insight into the mechanism of male killing itself.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	male killing, resistance, sex ratio, endosymbionts
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	03 May 2022 11:34
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 21:04
DOI:	10.1098/rspb.2021.2781
Open Access URL:	https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsp...
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3154127