PRF/J: Molecular Systematics of the Sipuncula

在这个项目中，星虫的相对基因顺序 细胞色素氧化酶（CO）的整个序列将被分析， 亚基I-III将被导出，并且同样将被导出。 进行部分CO I - III序列测定。 这些数据将允许 建立星虫相对于 其他密切相关的真腔动物原口门， 序列数据目前是可用的。 单独的两个基因将 基于相对基因顺序和CO I - III序列推导 数据，这些将被检查的一致性作为一个测试的两个 方法. 来自至少五个其他星虫的部分序列数据 物种将与原始序列数据进行分析， 创造了一个六个描述的门的家族的系统发育。 利用这些信息，将有可能产生一个 系统发育分析的独立测试仅基于 形态学 %%% 星虫是一个广泛分布的群体， 在遗传学和非遗传学上知之甚少。 虽然不是 作为一个大型动物门，这种有限的多样性 对群体自身进化的理解， 动物门与后生动物进化的关系， 表型（形态学和个体发生学）特征。 基因 本研究将产生的顺序和序列数据将是 对于表征细粒度和粗粒度的演变至关重要， 整个群体的线粒体基因组 此类信息 将揭示星虫体内的生殖问题 与后生动物的亲和力，也将提供基线遗传 进一步研究的资料 分布广泛的物种和种群变异 幼虫有机体 所有这些都很重要，因为海洋 物种在系统学研究中的代表性不足， 生物多样性

During this project the relative gene order of a sipunculan will be analyzed, the entire sequence of cytochrome oxidase (CO) subunits I - III for this species will be derived, and same will be done for partial CO I - III sequences. These data will permit the creation of a molecular phylogeny of the Sipuncula relative to other closely related eucoelomate protostome phyla for which sequence data are presently available. Separate phylogenies will be derived based on relative gene order and CO I - III sequence data, and those will be checked for congruence as a test of the two methods. Partial sequence data from at least five other sipunculan species will be analyzed with the original sequence data in order to create a phylogeny of the six described families of the phylum. Using this information it will be possible to produce an independent test of a phylogenetic analysis based solely on morphology. %%% The Sipuncula is a widely distributed group that is little known and poorly understood genetically and phylogenetically. Though not a large phylum, this limited diversity hasn't facilitated understanding of either the evolution of the group itself or the relationship of the phylum to metazoan evolution based upon phenotypic (morphological and ontogenetic) characters. The gene order and sequence data that will result from this study will be essential for characterizing fine- and coarse-grained evolution of the mitochondrial genome within the entire group. Such information will reveal answers about phylogeny within the Sipuncula and affinities with the Metazoa, and will also provide baseline genetic information for further studies concerning the biogeography of widespread species and population variation of ocean-dispersed larval organisms. All of the foregoing is important because marine species are under-represented in studies of systematics and biodiversity.