Abstract Detail
Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS Jimenez Luna, Israel [1]. Meiotic sex ratios in the Mojave Desert moss Syntrichia caninervis. Syntrichia caninervis is a desiccation tolerant bryophyte (moss) that inhabits the Mojave Desert soil crust-community. A pattern of female- biased sex expression has been well documented in this species, and has been hypothesized to result from sex-specific variation in the energy required for sex expression; however, it is also possible that sex expression ratios reflect actual (genetic) sex ratios of male and female individuals in Mojave Desert populations of S. caninervis. Skewed sex ratios could be caused by either sexual dimorphism in gametophyte growth and survival or biased viability of spores of one sex (meiotic sex ratio bias). The objective of my research is to validate a new PCR-RFLP protocol for genetic sex determination in S. caninervis and to use this protocol to characterize meiotic sex ratios of spores germinated from sexually produced sporophytes in this species. The meiotic sex ratios and germination success of spores produced by individual sporophytes will be compared to test for the presence of meiotic sex ratio bias and to assess sex ratio variation between sporophytes. In addition, genetic sex ratios of established gametophytes will be determined within S. caninervis populations to compare meiotic sex ratios with sex ratios of surviving adult gametophytes. The results of this research will be used to test for the presence of sporophyte and population-level biases in meiotic sex ratios, and to test the hypothesis that the observed female bias in sex expression in S. caninervis reflects an actual bias in the frequency of genetically female gametophytes that is established at spore germination.
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1 - California State University Los Angeles, Biology, 5151 State University Dr, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
Keywords:
PCR-RFLP
Meiotic sex ratios
Moss Syntrichia caninervis.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 16
Location: Salon 11/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 2:45 PM
Number: 16006
Abstract ID:143
Candidate for Awards:A. J. Sharp Award | 
