Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #183527
Title: THE SELFISH GENE MEDEA IN TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM: AN UPDATE

Author
item Beeman, Richard
item Lorenzen, Marce
item BROWN, SUSAN - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item STUART, JEFFREY - PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/5/2005
Publication Date: 8/5/2005
Citation: Beeman, R.W., Lorenzen, M.D., Brown, S.J., Stuart, J.J. 2005. The selfish gene medea in tribolium castaneum: an update [Abstract]. Tribolium Transgenics Meeting and International Tribolium Genetics Meeting, Gottingen, Germany, August 1-5, 2005.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maternal-effect selfish Medea genes (Maternal-Effect Dominant Embryonic Arrest) are widespread in natural populations of Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum, but have not been reported in any other animal species. Selfish alleles at Medea loci are inherited in Mendelian fashion, but ensure their own preferential propagation by causing maternal lethality to all hatchlings that do not inherit the selfish allele. The mechanisms of maternal lethality and zygotic rescue remain a mystery. We recently obtained evidence that all natural populations of T. castaneum carrying the selfish allele at the Medea-1 locus on linkage group 3 have an insertion of a 36 kb segment of unknown DNA between the blot and highwire genes. We are now in the process of cloning and sequencing this insertion, which should provide clues about the mechanism of this unique adaptation.