Selection with gene-cytoplasm interactions. I. Maintenance of cytoplasm polymorphisms

Abstract

General conditions for the protectedness of gene-cytoplasm polymorphisms are considered for a biallelic model with two cytoplasm types and under the assumption that nuclear polymorphisms cannot be maintained in the presence of only one cytoplasm type. Analytical results involving male fertilities, female fertilities, viabilities and selfing rates are obtained, and numerical results show spiral and cyclic behavior of population trajectories. It is shown that a maternally inherited cytoplasmic polymorphism cannot be maintained in the absence of a nuclear polymorphism, and that a gene-cytoplasm polymorphism can only be maintained if the population shows sexual asymmetry, i.e. , if the ratio of male to female fertility varies among genotypes. Thus, the classical viability selection model does not allow gene-cytoplasm polymorphisms.