Dissertation Research: Evolutionary Genetics of the Speciation Gene, Maternal Hybrid Rescue

论文研究：物种形成基因的进化遗传学、母本杂交拯救

• 批准号: 0104974
• 负责人: H. Allen Orr
• 金额: $ 1万
• 依托单位: University of Rochester
• 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: 2001-06-01 至 2003-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0104974&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Evolutionary; Genetics; Speciation

Speciation - the splitting of one species into two - creates biodiversity. As two interbreeding populations evolve mechanisms preventing the exchange of genes, they become new species with independent evolutionary fates. Genetic exchange between species is often limited by the sterility or inviability of their hybrids. At least in animals, such hybrid problems are caused by genetic incompatibilities: some genes from species A no longer function properly with those of species B when brought together in hybrids. The work proposed here will investigate the genes that cause hybrid inviability between species of the fruitfly Drosophila. Using the genetic and developmental techniques available in these model organisms, the project will first identify the DNA sequences of genes that miscommunicate in hybrids and, second, characterize their lethal interaction. The experiments will focus on the role of one candidate "speciation gene", maternal hybrid rescue. Once identified at the molecular level, one can then ask how the sequences of such genes changed between species, why their products fail to properly interact in hybrids, and what evolutionary forces drove their divergence. Only by genetically dissecting hybrid problems can biologists begin to understand the evolution of genetic incompatibilities and thus the origin of new species.

物种形成--一个物种分裂成两个物种--创造了生物多样性。 当两个杂交种群进化出阻止基因交换的机制时，它们就变成了具有独立进化命运的新物种。 物种间的遗传交换常常受到其杂交后代不育或不能存活的限制。 至少在动物中，这种杂交问题是由遗传不相容性引起的：当物种A的一些基因与物种B的基因在杂交中结合在一起时，它们不再正常发挥作用。 这里提出的工作将调查基因，导致杂交种之间的果蝇果蝇。利用这些模式生物中可用的遗传和发育技术，该项目将首先确定杂交种中错误交流的基因的DNA序列，其次，描述它们的致命相互作用。 这些实验将集中在一个候选的“物种形成基因”的作用，母体杂交拯救。 一旦在分子水平上得到鉴定，人们就可以问这些基因的序列在物种之间是如何变化的，为什么它们的产物在杂交中不能正确地相互作用，以及是什么进化力量推动了它们的分歧。 只有从遗传学角度剖析杂交问题，生物学家才能开始理解遗传不相容性的进化，从而理解新物种的起源。