A Molecular Genetic Investigation of Paternal Genes and Female Fitness

9603735 Zeh在分子生物学方面的发现提供了越来越多的证据，证明物种的基因组是动态的实体，不断进化，至少部分是由于细胞核和细胞质内部和之间的遗传冲突。自私的遗传因素，如细胞内共生体、转座元件、分离扭曲等位基因、母体效应致命等位基因，以及高度可利用的(“垃圾”)DNA和基因印记基因中的失衡，都会使某些母系和父系的基因组合在发育中的胚胎中不相容，从而破坏女性的适应能力。伪蝎的单基因座小卫星DNA探针的开发，与高度易于实验并涉及大量后代生产的哺乳动物般的胎生生殖生物学相结合，使该物种成为研究父系基因对雌性适应的影响的模式系统。通过一项涉及行为分析、繁殖实验和DNA图谱的研究项目，这项研究将检验这一假设，即女性生殖道内的细胞和分子相互作用可以为女性提供机制，最大限度地降低通过遗传不相容的精子受精的风险和/或成本。这一遗传不亲和性假说将与先前提出的几个假说进行比较，以解释父亲的基因类型如何影响雌性生殖成功，即交易假说、近亲交配避免假说和固有雄性质量假说。

9603735 Zeh Discoveries in molecular biology are providing growing evidence that the genomes of species are dynamic entities, constantly evolving, at least in part, as a result of genetic conflicts within and between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Selfish genetic elements, such as cellular endosymbionts, transposable elements, segregation distorter alleles, maternal effect lethal alleles, as well as hyperavailable ("junk") DNA and imbalances in genomically- imprinted genes, can all undermine female fitness by rendering certain combinations of maternal and paternal genotypes incompatible within the developing embryo. The development of single-locus minisatellite DNA probes for the pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, in combination with a mammalian-like viviparous reproductive biology highly amenable to experimentation and involving the production of large numbers of offspring, makes this species a model system for investigating the effects of paternal genotypes on female fitness. Through a research program involving behavioral analyses, breeding experiments and DNA profiling, this study will test the hypothesis that cellular and molecular interactions within the female reproductive tract can provide females with mechanisms for minimizing the risk and/or cost of fertilization by genetically- incompatible sperm. This genetic incompatibility hypothesis will be tested against several previously proposed hypotheses to explain how paternal genotypes can influence female reproductive success, namely the trading-up hypothesis, the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis and the intrinsic male quality hypothesis.