With whom is the gene in conflict in offspring production?: Synthesis of the theories of intragenomic and parent-offspring conflict

In offspring production, with whom are the maternally derived (madumnal), paternally derived (padumnal), and maternal genes in conflict? I developed a model, in which those genes independently regulate resource absorption of developing offspring, and offspring with a high realized resource absorption rate may become large, but may suffer abortion due to overgrowth. I analyzed two cases: maternal control is weak (maternal genes cannot completely inhibit the resource demand by the madumnal or the padumnal genes) and is strong (maternal genes can completely inhibit it). I found that, under weak maternal control, the maternal genes inhibit resource absorption, but the madumnal and padumnal genes enhance it if the abortion cost of overgrowth is low. The maternal and madumnal genes inhibit resource absorption, but the padumnal genes enhance it if the cost is high. Under strong maternal control, the maternal genes inhibit resource absorption, but the madumnal and padumnal genes enhance it irrespective of the degree of abortion cost. I also found that the effects of offspring abortion on an ESS size and number of offspring when independent are large under weak maternal control, but are moderated under strong maternal control. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.