TY - JOUR TI - Asexual reproduction reduces transposable element load in experimental yeast populations AU - Bast, Jens AU - Jaron, Kamil S AU - Schuseil, Donovan AU - Roze, Denis AU - Schwander, Tanja A2 - Coop, Graham A2 - Tautz, Diethard A2 - Coop, Graham A2 - Charlesworth, Brian VL - 8 PY - 2019 DA - 2019/09/05 SP - e48548 C1 - eLife 2019;8:e48548 DO - 10.7554/eLife.48548 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.48548 AB - Theory predicts that sexual reproduction can either facilitate or restrain transposable element (TE) accumulation by providing TEs with a means of spreading to all individuals in a population, versus facilitating TE load reduction via purifying selection. By quantifying genomic TE loads over time in experimental sexual and asexual Saccharomyces cerevisiae populations, we provide direct evidence that TE loads decrease rapidly under asexual reproduction. We show, using simulations, that this reduction may occur via evolution of TE activity, most likely via increased excision rates. Thus, sex is a major driver of genomic TE loads and at the root of the success of TEs. KW - evolution of sex KW - transposable elements KW - asexuality JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -