Sex Differences in the Genetic Architecture of Lifespan in a Seed Beetle: Extreme Inbreeding Extends Male Lifespan

Overview

Journal BMC Evol Biol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Biology

Date 2009 Feb 10

PMID 19200350

Citations 17

Authors

Trine Bilde

Alexei A Maklakov

Katrine Meisner

Lucia la Guardia

Urban Friberg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Sex differences in lifespan are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom but the causes underlying this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Several explanations based on asymmetrical inheritance patterns (sex chromosomes or mitochondrial DNA) have been proposed, but these ideas have rarely been tested experimentally. Alternatively, sexual dimorphism in lifespan could result from sex-specific selection, caused by fundamental differences in how males and females optimize their fitness by allocating resources into current and future reproduction.

Results: Here we used sex-specific responses to inbreeding to study the genetic architecture of lifespan and mortality rates in Callosobruchus maculatus, a seed beetle that shows sexual dimorphism in lifespan. Two independent assays revealed opposing sex-specific responses to inbreeding. The combined data set showed that inbred males live longer than outbred males, while females show the opposite pattern. Both sexes suffered reduced fitness measured as lifetime reproductive success as a result of inbreeding.

Conclusion: No model based on asymmetrical inheritance can explain increased male lifespan in response to inbreeding. Our results are however compatible with models based on sex-specific selection on reproductive strategies. We therefore suggest that sex-specific differences in lifespan in this species primarily result from sexually divergent selection.

Citing Articles

The influence of sex-specific factors on biological transformations and health outcomes in aging processes.

Huang Y, Li H, Liang R, Chen J, Tang Q Biogerontology. 2024; 25(5):775-791.

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Sex-specific aging in animals: Perspective and future directions.

Bronikowski A, Meisel R, Biga P, Walters J, Mank J, Larschan E Aging Cell. 2022; 21(2):e13542.

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Sex-specific inbreeding depression: A meta-analysis.

Vega-Trejo R, de Boer R, Fitzpatrick J, Kotrschal A Ecol Lett. 2022; 25(4):1009-1026.

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Inbreeding reduces fitness of seed beetles under thermal stress.

Ivimey-Cook E, Bricout S, Candela V, Maklakov A, Berg E J Evol Biol. 2021; 34(9):1386-1396.

PMID: 34233049 PMC: 9291971. DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13899.

Creating outbred and inbred populations in haplodiploids to measure adaptive responses in the laboratory.

Godinho D, Cruz M, Charlery de la Masseliere M, Teodoro-Paulo J, Eira C, Fragata I Ecol Evol. 2020; 10(14):7291-7305.

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