DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Testing the Mutation Models for the Evolution of Microsatellites: An Experimental and Simulation Approach

论文研究：测试微卫星进化的突变模型：实验和模拟方法

• 批准号: 0308895
• 负责人: Paul Sniegowski
• 金额: $ 1.16万
• 依托单位: University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0308895&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Testing; Mutation; Models

Microsatellites are stretches of DNA composed of small sequence units that are repeated many times in tandem. The number of repeats is highly mutable, and the appropriate model for the mutational processes affecting repeat length remains an unsolved problem. This research will use experimental evolution to address this problem. Twenty replicate populations of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae will be evolved for 2000 generations and the variation that has accumulated at 6 microsatellite loci will be characterized. The results will be compared to predictions from computer simulation studies based on the three major mutational models that have been proposed. If none of these preexisting models is confirmed, then the extensive and novel data set obtained in this experiment will be employed to develop a more appropriate model.Microsatellites are present in the genomes of most organisms. Analysis of microsatellite variation is used to study such basic scientific questions as population sizes, genetic divergence between populations, and evolutionary relationships between species. At a more applied level, microsatellites are important tools in genome mapping in medical research and forensic analyses in legal proceedings. Interpretation of results in all of these areas typically requires assumptions about the mutational processes affecting microsatellite variation. The results of this project will thus have important implications in diverse areas of biology.

微卫星是由小序列单元组成的DNA的拉伸，这些单元在同时多次重复。重复序列的数量是高度可变的，而影响重复长度的突变过程的合适模型仍然是一个未解决的问题。这项研究将使用实验进化来解决这个问题。酿酒酵母将进化2000代的酵母糖疗法的二十个重复种群，并且在6微卫星基因座的积累的变异将被表征。结果将与基于提出的三个主要突变模型的计算机模拟研究的预测进行比较。如果没有确认这些先前的模型，那么将使用本实验中获得的广泛的新数据集来开发更合适的模型。大多数生物体的基因组中都存在明脂岩。微卫星变异的分析用于研究诸如人群大小，人群之间的遗传差异以及物种之间的进化关系之类的基本科学问题。在更应用的水平上，微卫星是医学研究和法律程序分析中基因组映射的重要工具。在所有这些领域中的结果的解释通常需要关于影响微卫星变化的突变过程的假设。因此，该项目的结果将对生物学的不同领域具有重要意义。