POWRE: Evolution and Persistence of the T-Haplotype in Finite Populations

小行星9752945 在几个物种中观察到的超小鱼类基因复合体（USGC）是具有攻击性和有害性的染色体实体。 它们比它们的遗传对应物更经常地传递给后代，违反了孟德尔定律。 然而，它们对携带它们的生物体是有害的，因为它们导致不育，并且经常携带隐性致命突变。 USGC的进化是一个有趣的例子，在一个单一的生物体的遗传元素之间的竞争进化。 玛丽丹妮杜兰德这项工作的长期目标是了解USGC如何在人群中进化。 目前项目的目标是通过开发小鼠中发生的USGC的组合模型来证明模拟和分析方法的组合可以成为这一领域的有效研究工具。 计算机模拟和马尔可夫模型将被用来研究小种群中超小基因的行为，其中USGC频率的随机变化对这些元素的生存能力有很大影响。 对USGC突变的计算机模拟将显示不同的攻击性变体如何在选择压力下竞争。 拟议的工作的预期成果包括新的工具，用于研究的进化和人口动态的USGC的，假设有关的基本人口遗传机制，介导其进化和人口条件下，USGC的可以出现和持续的表征。 这个POWRE奖允许Durand博士通过应用她的计算技能来扩展她的研究计划，以模拟进化生物学中的一个重要问题。 这一工作将提高她在生物科学这一跨学科领域的地位，而在这一领域，妇女的代表性明显不足。

9752945 Durand Ultraselfish gene complexes (USGC's), which have been observed in several species, are chromosomal entities that are both aggressive and deleterious. They are transmitted to offspring more often than their genetic counterparts, in violation of Mendel's laws. Yet, they are harmful to the organism that carries them in that they cause sterility and often carry recessive lethal mutations. The evolution of USGC's is of interest as an example of competitive evolution between genetic elements in a single organism. The long term objective of this work by Marie Dannie Durand is to understand how USGC's evolve in populations. The goal of the current project is to demonstrate that a combination of simulation and analytic methods can be an effective research tool in this area by developing a combined model of a USGC that occurs in mice. Computer simulations and Markov models will be used to study the behavior of ultraselfish genes in small populations where stochastic variations in USGC frequency have a big impact on the ability of such elements to survive. Computer simulations of mutations in USGC's will show how different aggressive variants compete under selective pressure. The expected results of the proposed work include new tools for studying the evolution and population dynamics of USGC's, hypotheses concerning the basic population genetic mechanisms that mediate their evolution and characterization of the population conditions under which USGC's can arise and persist. This POWRE award permits Dr. Durand to expand her research program by applying her computational skills to model a significant question in evolutionary biology. This work should increase her prominence in an interdisciplinary area of the biological sciences, an area in which women are significantly underrepresented.