Dissertation Research: Natural Selection at the Alpha-2 Globin Locus in Bornean Orangutans.

论文研究：婆罗洲猩猩 Alpha-2 球蛋白基因座的自然选择。

• 批准号: 0097057
• 负责人: Maryellen Ruvolo
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-05-01 至 2002-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0097057&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Natural; Selection; Alpha

Natural selection is the directional force of evolution and is known to have affected the genetic structure of our species. The classic example of selection involves adaptations in the hemoglobin genes of humans created to combat malaria parasites. The most widely known adaptation is the sickle cell hemoglobin. Many primates other than humans harbor similar malaria parasites. One such primate is the orangutan, an Asian ape. The main hypothesis of this study is that the alpha globin genes of orangutans are under natural selection and adaptations to malaria. This is significant because if orangutan alpha globin genes have evolved by natural selection, malaria may be an important selective pressure in primates other than humans. By extension, malaria may have been a major selective force in the lives of early hominids such as Australopithecus. Large-bodied predators are often considered to be selective agents among apes, but microscopic "predators" may in fact have had larger effects.To test this hypothesis, DNA sequence data will be generated for two genes, alpha-2 globin and Dmd, from a large number of orangutans. Different measures of genetic diversity will be calculated from these two genes, which will be compared and contrasted to one another. The Dmd gene has been shown not to be influenced by natural selection in humans and will therefore be an index of non-selective evolution. If the diversity at the two genes is significantly different, natural selection will be inferred to be acting at the alpha-2 globin gene. The data collected will also be used to make inferences about orangutan population history and inform conservation efforts. Some estimations will be population age, population size, migration rates, and mutation rates. These parameters will then be compared to published comparable estimates for modern humans and chimpanzees, enabling direct comparisons among the population histories of these primates

自然选择是进化的方向性力量，并影响了我们物种的遗传结构。 自然选择的经典例子包括人类血红蛋白基因的适应性，这些基因是为了对抗疟疾寄生虫而创造的。 最广为人知的适应是镰状细胞血红蛋白。 除人类外，许多灵长类动物也携带类似的疟疾寄生虫。 其中一种灵长类动物是猩猩，一种亚洲猿。 这项研究的主要假设是，猩猩的α珠蛋白基因是在自然选择和适应疟疾。 这一点意义重大，因为如果猩猩α珠蛋白基因是通过自然选择进化而来的，那么疟疾可能是人类以外灵长类动物的一个重要选择压力。 推而广之，疟疾可能是早期人类（如南方古猿）生活中的一种主要选择力量。 大型食肉动物通常被认为是猿类中的选择剂，但微观“食肉动物”实际上可能有更大的影响。为了验证这一假设，将从大量猩猩中获得两个基因的DNA序列数据，α-2珠蛋白和Dmd。 将从这两个基因中计算不同的遗传多样性度量，并将其相互比较和对比。 Dmd基因已被证明不受人类自然选择的影响，因此将成为非选择性进化的指标。 如果两个基因的多样性显著不同，则可以推断自然选择作用于α-2珠蛋白基因。收集的数据也将用于推断猩猩的种群历史，并为保护工作提供信息。 一些估计将是人口年龄，人口规模，迁移率和突变率。 然后将这些参数与已发表的现代人类和黑猩猩的可比估计值进行比较，从而能够直接比较这些灵长类动物的种群历史