Is selfing syndrome reversible? Evolution of reproductive traits in Caenorhabditis elegans after transition to obligatory outcrossing.

Caenorhabditis elegans, as a species that reproduces mainly by self-fertilization, is characterized by a reduction in traits associated with interbreeding, which is characteristic of this reproductive system. Since the likely cause of this reduction is reduced selection pressure for traits that increase crossbreeding efficiency, the goal of the project is to investigate whether restoring this pressure, by introducing obligate crossbreeding and maintaining it for multiple generations, will allow us to observe the development of adaptations to reproduction by crossbreeding at the level of: adaptation, reproductive behavior, and molecular level, in genes undergoing greater expression in males.

PSP Project No: K/PBM/000593

PI: Weronika Antoł

Project duration: 12.03.2019 - 11.03.2024

Funder: National Science Centre in Poland (NCN)