Transmission ratio distortion in the human body louse, Pediculus humanus (Insecta: Phthiraptera)

C. J. McMeniman; S. C. Barker

doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800760

Transmission ratio distortion in the human body louse, Pediculus humanus (Insecta: Phthiraptera)

C. J. McMeniman, S. C. Barker

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We studied inheritance at three microsatellite loci in eight F₁ and two F₂ families of the body (clothes) louse of humans, Pediculus humanus. The alleles of heterozygous female-parents were always inherited in a Mendelian fashion in these families. Alleles from heterozygous male-parents, however, were inherited in two different ways: (i) in a Mendelian fashion and (ii) in a non-Mendelian fashion, where males passed to their offspring only one of their two alleles, that is, 100% nonrandom transmission. In male body lice, where there was non-Mendelian inheritance, the paternally inherited set of alleles was eliminated. We interpret this pattern of inheritance as evidence for extreme transmission ratio distortion of paternal alleles in this species.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	63-68
Number of pages	6
Journal	Heredity
Volume	96
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800760
State	Published - Jan 2006
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Lice
Meiotic drive
Non-Mendelian inheritance
Segregation distortion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Genetics
Genetics(clinical)

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abstract = "We studied inheritance at three microsatellite loci in eight F1 and two F2 families of the body (clothes) louse of humans, Pediculus humanus. The alleles of heterozygous female-parents were always inherited in a Mendelian fashion in these families. Alleles from heterozygous male-parents, however, were inherited in two different ways: (i) in a Mendelian fashion and (ii) in a non-Mendelian fashion, where males passed to their offspring only one of their two alleles, that is, 100% nonrandom transmission. In male body lice, where there was non-Mendelian inheritance, the paternally inherited set of alleles was eliminated. We interpret this pattern of inheritance as evidence for extreme transmission ratio distortion of paternal alleles in this species.",

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AB - We studied inheritance at three microsatellite loci in eight F1 and two F2 families of the body (clothes) louse of humans, Pediculus humanus. The alleles of heterozygous female-parents were always inherited in a Mendelian fashion in these families. Alleles from heterozygous male-parents, however, were inherited in two different ways: (i) in a Mendelian fashion and (ii) in a non-Mendelian fashion, where males passed to their offspring only one of their two alleles, that is, 100% nonrandom transmission. In male body lice, where there was non-Mendelian inheritance, the paternally inherited set of alleles was eliminated. We interpret this pattern of inheritance as evidence for extreme transmission ratio distortion of paternal alleles in this species.

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Transmission ratio distortion in the human body louse, Pediculus humanus (Insecta: Phthiraptera)

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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