WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Researchers identify the mechanism by which a selfish genetic element in C. elegans kills embryos. The toxin, known as peel-1, is carried by the father’s sperm and disrupts embryonic development of muscle and epidermal tissue. Only those embryos with zeel-1, an antidote to the poison that's located next to peel-1 in the genome and expressed during embryogenesis, survive. The results suggest that tight physical linkage of the genes was key to their co-evolution, and their ability to spread despite the cost they impose on their hosts.
H.S. Seidel, et al., “A novel sperm-delivered toxin causes late-stage embryo lethality and transmission ratio distortion in C. elegans,” PLoS Biol, e1001115, 2011. Free F1000 Evaluation
Comparing the genomes of a ...
