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Multilevel selection 1: Quantitative genetics of inheritanceand response to selection, pp. 277–288

Piter Bijma, William M. Muir and Johan A. M. Van Arendonk

and

Multilevel selection 2: Estimating the genetic parameters determininginheritance and response to selection, pp. 289–299

Piter Bijma, William M. Muir, Esther D. Ellen, Jason B. Wolfand Johan A. M. Van Arendonk

These two articles mark a major contribution for predictionof selection response when the trait under selection is influencedby interactions between pairs of individuals. By adding a levelof individual-by-individual interaction to the classical variancecomponents, the authors show that classical approaches to quantitativegenetics can be nearly blind to these interactions. When appropriatelymodeled, the authors show, using real examples, that breedingpopulations can have quite strong interactions with substantialimpacts on selection response. Just when we all thought thatthe only remaining frontier for quantitative genetics entailedmolecular markers, these articles develop a whole new levelto components of genetic variation and demonstrate their importancein selection response.

A specific subset of transient receptor potential vanilloid-typechannel subunits in Caenorhabditis elegans endocrine cells functionas mixed heteromers to promote neurotransmitter release, pp.93–105

Antony M. Jose, I. Amy Bany, Daniel L. Chase and Michael R.Koelle

Most forms of sensation require transient receptor potential(TRP) family cation channels composed of four subunits. Whilesingle knockouts have revealed the functions of many homomericchannels, which are composed of identical subunits, the functionsof heteromeric channels composed of two or more different subunitsremain largely unclear. This article shows that heteromericTRP channels regulate egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans.The authors present a model in which mechanical deformationof specific uterine cells by eggs relays a signal via the heteromericTRP channels to promote egg laying.

Comparing likelihood and Bayesian coalescent estimation of populationparameters, pp. 155–165

Mary K. Kuhner and Lucian P. Smith

The authors develop a Bayesian version of LAMARC, their likelihood-basedMarkov chain Monte Carlo genealogy sampler that fits populationsample data to demographic population genetic models. Althoughthis may seem like a technical detail, the comparison of meritsof these two estimation approaches is of great importance tostatistical geneticists who basically must take a leap one wayor the other, and almost nobody goes to the effort to comparethe two approaches. The authors use simulated DNA sequence datato assess accuracy of estimates of ${Theta}$ (4N_eµ) and rates ofmigration and recombination. In all cases the two methods havevery similar results, although the Bayesian approach tends toexclude the true parameter estimates less often.

Disruption of genetic interaction between two autosomal regionsand the X chromosome causes reproductive isolation between mousestrains derived from different subspecies, pp. 185–197

Ayako Oka, Toshihiro Aoto, Yoshikazu Totsuka, Riichi Takahashi,Masatsugu Ueda, Akihiko Mita, Noriko Sakurai-Yamatani, HiromiYamamoto, Satoshi Kuriki, Nobuo Takagi, Kazuo Moriwaki and ToshihikoShiroishi

Laboratory mice are not all completely interfertile, mostlybecause they were founded from various introgressions of Musmusculus domesticus, M. m. musculus, and M. m. molossinus. Thisarticle takes an elegant genetic approach to identify specificDobzhansky–Muller type interactions using a consomic Xchromosome line and then mapping quantitative trait loci thatinteract with the X chromosome to produce hybrid sterility.Mice whose autosomal complement is C57BL/6J but who have theX chromosome of M. m. mollosinus produce spermatozoa with adefect in penetration through the zona pellucida of eggs andare male sterile.

Two unlinked double-strand breaks can induce reciprocal exchangesin plant genomes via homologous recombination and nonhomologousend joining, pp. 21–29

Michael Pacher, Waltraud Schmidt-Puchta and Holger Puchta

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) can occur simultaneously in a genome.To analyze the mutagenic potential of such a situation the authorsestablish an experimental system in tobacco harboring two unlinkedtransgenes, each carrying an I-SceI site. After expression ofI-SceI, a kanamycin-resistance marker can be restored by joiningtwo previously unlinked broken ends by homologous recombinationor by nonhomologous end joining. Despite the fact that no selectionwas applied for joining the two other ends, the respective linkagecan be detected in most cases tested, demonstrating that therespective exchanges are reciprocal. DSB-induced translocationsevents greatly exceed ectopic gene conversion events in somaticcells. Thus, DSB-induced reciprocal exchanges might play a significantrole in plant genome evolution.

Components of the spindle assembly checkpoint regulate the anaphase-promotingcomplex during meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans, pp. 107–123

Kathryn K. Stein, Edward S. Davis, Thomas Hays and Andy Golden

Temperature-sensitive mutations in subunits of the Caenorhabditiselegans anaphase-promoting complex (APC) arrest at metaphaseof meiosis I at the restrictive temperature. To identify regulatorsand potential substrates of the APC, the authors perform a geneticsuppressor screen using a weak allele of the APC subunit MAT-3,whose defects are specific to meiosis. Twenty-seven suppressorsthat resulted in embryonic viability and larval developmentat the restrictive temperature are isolated. The genes definedby these suppressor mutations include the APC co-activator fzy-1and in three spindle assembly checkpoint genes, mdf-1, mdf-2,and mdf-3/san-1, orthologs of Mad1, Mad2, and Mad3, respectively.These studies provide evidence that components of the spindleassembly checkpoint may regulate the metaphase-to-anaphase transitionin the absence of spindle damage during C. elegans meiosis.

Cytological visualization of DNA transposons and their transpositionpattern in somatic cells of maize, pp. 31–39

Weichang Yu, Jonathan C. Lamb, Fangpu Han and James A. Birchler

Cytological methods have not been used in plants to study DNAtransposition since McClintock's initial work, principally becausethey lack the resolution necessary to follow movement of individualtransposons (McClintock used transposon-induced chromosome breaksto assess movement). This article from the Birchler lab remediesthe situation and describes improved cytological techniquesfor detecting single-copy genes. The method is used to monitorthe chromosomal location and movement of several maize transposableelements including the genetically engineered RescueMu element.The method likely will be rapidly employed by a number of labsstudying plant chromosome dynamics.

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