Biologists have shown that "mothers curse" there

Researchers from Vanderbilt University and Research Center Fred Hutchinson Cancer proved the existence of gene transfer mechanism, which cause damage to the male offspring, but are harmless to the female sex. This mechanism is known as the "mother of the curse." The study is published in the journal eLife.

According to scientists, the mechanism is due to the fact that the cells of eukaryotes have two independent parts of the genome, between which is the "arms race." Most of the genome located at the core is much smaller - in the mitochondria. Part of the genome contained in the cell nucleus, the genetic material is made up of both parents, and mitochondrial DNA - from the mother only.

While natural selection suppresses mutations that weaken the females in the mitochondrial genome of the, there is no direct mechanism to get rid of those harmful to men. This leads to the "curse of the mother." Mitochondria in plant cells contain much more DNA, so this unusual mechanism was discovered in plants before, the researchers say. Scientists have discovered in the fruit fly - Drosophila - mitochondrial DNA mutations that reduce fertility with age male offspring, but are harmless to females.

"Curse of the mother" - one of the strangest consequences of natural selection. According to the theory of evolution, the genome enclosed in the nucleus and mitochondria, are in constant competition: positive changes in one part of the DNA induce another to adapt.