Self-incompatibilty in gamete recognition: Single self-recognizing determinants and multiple, non-self-recognizing ones function in the same individual

Abstract

The frameworks (key mechanisms) of the self/non-self-discrimination systems that are found in various organisms have not been actively selected for, but have evolved by genetic drift such that the genetic frequency of random, advantageous mutations has increased within the genomes of these species by natural selection. The passive nature of this process leads to an important conclusion: in the self/non-self-discrimination system, the number of self-recognizing determinants becomes one compared to multiple non-self-recognizing determinants. Thus, the number of determinants is defined not by the character of the determinant, but by the system framework. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.