Effects of Inbreeding on the Male and Female Functions of Plants

斯蒂芬森9806691 近交衰退是近交后代（自花授粉或授粉产生的后代）适合度的降低 近亲属）相对于异交后代。令人印象深刻的 一系列理论预测，近亲繁殖衰退是一个主要的 花的性状（大小，形状，颜色，气味， 花等）和植物中的交配模式。过去 世纪的许多研究表明，近亲繁殖减少了相对 存活率以及种子的相对数量和质量 由植物生产的。然而，大多数研究都忽略了 近亲繁殖对植物雄性（花粉）功能的影响， 事实上，大多数植物都是雌雄同体（既产生花粉， 种子）。此外，我们对 近交衰退随生长（环境）而变化 条件最后，关于这一问题仍有许多争论。 近交衰退的遗传基础。因此，我们将 执行一系列旨在1）量化和比较的项目 近亲繁殖对存活率的影响程度， 通过男性和女性功能进行生殖，2） 研究近亲繁殖衰退和 环境压力，3）确定之间的关系 近亲繁殖和健身跨越四个级别的近亲繁殖，和4）， 确定雄性近亲繁殖衰退的近因 功能 从本提案中的项目中获得的数据将导致第一次全面研究 植物的雄性功能上的近亲繁殖;它们将产生 可测试的预测（以及测试这些预测所需的种子） 关于近亲繁殖的遗传基础 抑郁症;他们将使我们能够更好地预测方向， 在不同的环境条件下， 条件;它们将使我们能够批判性地评估 围绕植物交配模式进化的理论。从 从实用的角度来看，我们的研究结果将具有重要意义。 对农业的影响（例如，杂交种子行业使用 植物的自交系作为其育种的主要组成部分 程序），保护生物学（例如，保护 濒危植物，现在只存在于小，高度近亲繁殖， 种群）和林业（其中花粉选择是最重要的 重要性，因为传统的植物育种技术由于 （树木的生长时间）。

Stephenson 9806691 Inbreeding depression is the reduction in fitness of inbred progeny (progeny resulting from self-pollinations or pollinations by close relatives) relative to outcrossed progeny. An impressive body of theory predicts that inbreeding depression is a major force in the evolution of floral traits (size, shape, color, odor, etc. of flowers) and mating patterns in plants. Over the past century many studies have shown that inbreeding reduces relative survivorship and the relative number and quality of the seeds produced by plants. However, most studies have ignored the effects of inbreeding on the male (pollen) function of plants despite the fact that most plants are hermaphrodites (produce both pollen and seeds). Moreover, we know little about how the magnitude of inbreeding depression changes with growing (environmental) conditions. Finally, there remains much debate concerning the genetic basis of inbreeding depression. Consequently, we will perform a series of projects designed 1) to quantify and compare the magnitude of inbreeding depression on survivorship and reproduction through both the male and female functions, 2) to examine the relationship between inbreeding depression and environmental stress, 3) to determine the relationship between inbreeding and fitness across four levels of inbreeding, and 4) to determine the proximate cause of inbreeding depression on the male function. The data obtained from the projects in this proposal will result in the first comprehensive study of the effects of inbreeding on the male function of plants; they will generate testable predictions (and the seeds necessary to test these predictions) concerning the genetic basis of inbreeding depression; they will allow us to better predict the direction in which floral traits will evolve under different environmental conditions; and they will allow us to critically evaluate the theory surrounding the evolution of plant mating patterns. From a practical perspective, our findings will have important ramifications for agriculture (e.g., the hybrid seed industry uses inbred lines of plants as the major component in their breeding programs), conservation biology (e.g., the preservation of endangered plants that now exist only in small, highly inbred populations), and forestry (where pollen selection is of utmost importance because traditional plant breeding techniques fail due to the long generation time of trees).