Population Genetics of a Clonal Gorgonian: Research Fellowship in Marine Biotechnology

克隆柳珊瑚的群体遗传学：海洋生物技术研究奖学金

• 批准号: 8915089
• 负责人: Mary Alice Coffroth
• 金额: $ 12.6万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1990
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1990-01-01 至 1993-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8915089&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Population; Genetics; Clonal; Gorgonian; Research

Clonal growth is a common reproductive strategy among sessile marine invertebrates. Although the pervasiveness of this strategy implies success, the relative contribution of asexual versus sexual reproduction to long term population dynamics in invertebrates has rarely been quantified. This fellowship research will pursue the use of molecular genetic techniques to determine the genetic diversity and population structure of the clonal gorgonian, Plexaura sp. Differentiation of genotypes will be attempted using DNA fingerprinting to characterize the clonal structure of the population. These data on population structure will be used to deduce the long term effects of clonal reproduction on the population. The relatedness of different populations and species will be measured by examining DNA sequence variation and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA. The adaptation of these techniques for use with gorgonians will allow the quantification of the relative importance of sexual and asexual reproduction; the extent of larval dispersal between reefs and populations; the relationship between phenotypic and genotypic variation; and the systematics of the genus. The training in molecular genetic techniques will provide Dr. Coffroth with the ability to apply these techniques to other marine systems and other questions in biological oceanography.

克隆生长是固着海洋无脊椎动物的常见繁殖策略。 尽管这种策略的普遍存在意味着成功，但无性繁殖与有性繁殖对无脊椎动物长期种群动态的相对贡献很少被量化。 这项奖学金研究将致力于利用分子遗传学技术来确定克隆柳珊瑚 Plexaura sp 的遗传多样性和种群结构。 将尝试使用 DNA 指纹来区分基因型，以表征群体的克隆结构。 这些有关种群结构的数据将用于推断克隆繁殖对种群的长期影响。 不同种群和物种的相关性将通过检查线粒体 DNA 的 DNA 序列变异和限制性片段长度多态性来测量。 将这些技术应用于柳珊瑚将能够量化有性繁殖和无性繁殖的相对重要性；幼虫在珊瑚礁和种群之间扩散的程度；表型和基因型变异之间的关系；以及该属的系统学。 分子遗传学技术的培训将使科弗罗思博士能够将这些技术应用于其他海洋系统和生物海洋学中的其他问题。