POWRE: Polygamy and the Adaptive Significance of Genetic Variation in the Termite, Nasutitermes acajutlae

POWRE：一夫多妻制和白蚁 Nasutitermes acajutlae 遗传变异的适应性意义

• 批准号: 9973712
• 负责人: Claire Fuller
• 金额: $ 7.19万
• 依托单位: Murray State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-07-15 至 2002-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9973712&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: POWRE; Polygamy; Adaptive; Significance; Genetic

Fuller 9973712 Members of both the eusocial Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps) and Isoptera (termites) benefit by increasing genetic relatedness because non-reproductive individuals can achieve greater reproductive success by helping to rear siblings than by rearing their own offspring. The Hymenoptera achieve increased genetic relatedness by haplodiploidy; the diploid Isoptera may achieve similar levels of relatedness by inbreeding. In the Hymenoptera, multiple mating by queens (polyandry) and multiple queens within nests (polygyny) are common. Both decrease genetic relatedness among nestmates. At least 3 hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptive significance of genetic diversity in the Hymenoptera: 1) genetic variation enables colonies to allocate tasks such as foraging or guarding more precisely, 2) genetic variation enables colonies to withstand a wider range of abiotic conditions and 3) genetic variation allows colonies to resist a greater variety of pathogens. Less is known about the mating systems and level of genetic diversity among the termites. However, Fuller's observations indicate that workers within nests of the eusocial termite Nasutitermes acajutlae are genetically diverse. The goals of this POWRE project are first, to determine the source of genetic diversity in N. acajutlae, and second, to determine the adaptive significance of the genetic diversity. The PI will collect N. acajutlae kings, queens and workers from nests on the island of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The relatedness of kings and queens within nests will be assessed using mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. The relative contribution of reproductives to the worker population will be assessed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). In addition, the 3 genetic diversity hypotheses will be tested using RAPDs.While many empirical studies have examined hypotheses 1) and 3), very few studies have examined these questions in the only other group in which eusociality is common - the termites. Because their genetic system differs so fundamentally the study of genetic variability in N. acajutlae, coupled with an examination of their mating system, will provide an important comparison to the Hymenoptera.

Fuller 9973712真社会性的Hyattera（蜜蜂，蚂蚁和黄蜂）和Isoptera（白蚁）的成员都受益于增加遗传相关性，因为非生殖个体可以通过帮助抚养兄弟姐妹而不是抚养自己的后代来获得更大的生殖成功。膜翅目通过单倍性获得增加的遗传相关性;二倍体等翅目可以通过近亲繁殖获得相似水平的相关性。在Hyattera中，多个女王交配（一妻多夫制）和多个女王在巢内（一夫多妻制）是常见的。两者都降低了巢友之间的遗传相关性。至少有3种假说被提出来解释Hypltera遗传多样性的适应意义：1）遗传变异使群落能够更精确地分配任务，如觅食或守卫，2）遗传变异使群落能够承受更广泛的非生物条件，3）遗传变异使群落能够抵抗更多种类的病原体。对白蚁的交配系统和遗传多样性水平知之甚少。然而，富勒的观察表明，工人巢内的真社会性白蚁Nasutitermes acajutlae基因多样性。POWRE项目的目标是首先确定N.第二，确定遗传多样性的适应意义。PI将收集N。在美属维尔京群岛的圣托马斯岛上，一群无尾猿王、蚁后和工蚁正在筑巢。将使用线粒体DNA单倍型评估巢内王和王后的相关性。将使用随机扩增多态性DNA（RAPD）评估繁殖动物对工蜂种群的相对贡献。此外，3个遗传多样性假设将使用RAPD进行检验。虽然许多实证研究已经检验了假设1）和3），但很少有研究在唯一的另一个群体中检验这些问题，其中真社会性是常见的-白蚁。由于它们的遗传系统差异如此之大，因此对N. acajutlae，再加上他们的交配系统的检查，将提供一个重要的比较，以Hyquitera。