MRPG: Mutation and Selection in Clonal Organisms

Orive 9813335 克隆繁殖，或新个体的无性繁殖，广泛存在于植物和动物物种中，包括海洋无脊椎动物，如珊瑚。 现有的群体遗传学理论没有充分解决克隆生活史的许多重要细节，包括不确定的生长和发育;在同一物种中存在克隆和有性生殖;体细胞突变的传播;以及存在多个水平的自然选择可以发挥作用。 该研究计划的总体目标是扩展进化遗传模型，以纳入克隆生物独特的生活史特征，从而研究基本的进化问题，例如遗传多样性的起源和维持以及新突变出现和传播的速度。 这项研究将涉及克隆生物突变和选择的基本模型的发展，包括其生活史的各个方面。该模型的独特之处在于既包含了群体遗传学框架（例如，整个群体中的等位基因频率），又包含了人口统计学模型（其中包含了生物体特定生活史的细节）;它也可以扩展到以其他方式构建的群体。 其中一些扩展将需要使用计算机模拟研究，特别是在探索个体内突变的起源和传播的随机性以及选择对携带这些体细胞突变的个体的影响方面。 通过将理论扩展到包括先前考虑的生物体之外的生物体，这项工作将大大增加对过程的理解，例如体细胞突变，不同组织水平的选择以及遗传多样性的起源和维持。 这项工作也将提供一个基础，考虑主题，如克隆生活史的演变和控制这种演变的力量所发挥的相对作用。

Orive 9813335 Clonal reproduction, or the nonsexual production of new individuals, is widespread throughout both plant and animal species, including marine invertebrates such as corals. Existing population genetics theory does not adequately address many important details of clonal life histories, including indeterminate growth and development; the existence of both clonal and sexual reproduction in the same species; the spread of somatic mutations; and the existence of multiple levels where natural selection can act. The overall aim of this research program is to expand evolutionary genetic models to incorporate the unique life history characteristics of clonal organisms, allowing an examination of fundamental evolutionary issues, such as the origin and maintenance of genetic diversity and the rate at which new mutations arise and spread. This research will involve the development of a basic model of mutation and selection in clonal organisms that incorporates the various aspects of their life histories. The model is unique in incorporating both a population genetics framework (where, for example, allele frequencies in the entire population are followed) and a demographic model (which incorporates details of the organism's particular life history); it may also be extended to populations that are structured in other ways. Some of these extensions will require the use of computer simulation studies, especially in exploring the stochastic nature of the origin and spread of mutations within individuals and the effects of selection on individuals carrying these somatic mutations. By expanding theory to include organisms outside of the those previously considered, this work will add considerably to the understanding of processes such as somatic mutation, selection at different levels of organization, and the origin and maintenance of genetic diversity. This work will also provide a basis for considering topics such as the evolution of clonal life histories and the relative roles played by forces governing this evolution.