Abstract
Understanding the evolution of sexual vs asexual reproduction and their
consequences in population genetics is a central tenet of evolutionary
biology. Nevertheless, until now, it has proved unachievable to assess
partially clonal reproduction when the rate of clonality is less than
95%, especially without the use of genome-wide data or temporal
samples. Here, we investigate the genomic signatures of partial
clonality in the deep water kelp Laminaria rodriguezii, known to
reproduce by both sexual and asexual means. The results of these
investigations have been interpreted by comparison with the sexually
reproducing congeneric species Laminaria digitata. Genome-wide
variation was assessed by dd-RAD sequencing using 4077 SNPs in L.
rodriguezii and 7364 SNPs in L. digitata. As predicted for
partially clonal populations, the distribution of FIS within populations
of L. rodriguezii was centered in negative values, with heterozygote
excess at most loci along the genomes. This finding is the opposite of
what we reported within sexual populations of L. digitata,
characterized by a generalized deficit in heterozygotes. Furthermore,
two distinct distribution patterns of FIS were reported among
populations of L. rodriguezii, consistent with the results
predicted by the theoretical model for different levels of clonality.
These findings highlight that the investment in clonal growth could
differ among populations of L. rodriguezii, confirming that the
full distribution of FIS is a promising feature to take into account for
the study of asexuality in natural populations. We discuss the
implications of these results for the conservation of the rare deep
water kelp L. rodriguezii.