DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Genetic and Ecological Bases of Hostplant Specialization.

论文研究：寄主植物专业化的遗传和生态基础。

• 批准号: 0309360
• 负责人: Fred Gould
• 金额: $ 1.19万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 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: 2003-07-01 至 2005-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0309360&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Genetic; Ecological; Bases

The genetic basis of complex traits that help organisms adapt to their environment is not well understood for any organism. The basis of such traits is particularly fascinating when closely related species differ in adaptation to their environment. Heliothis subflexa and Heliothis virescens are one such species pair: recently evolved from a shared ancestor, they are 99% genetically similar. In spite of this genetic similarity, they differ radically in the number and diversity of hostplants fed upon. Heliothis subflexa is monophagous, feeding only on Physalis plants, while Heliothis virescens is a dietary generalist, feeding on 14 plant families. The goal of this proposal is to determine whether use of Physalis plants by the generalist Heliothis virescens is controlled by the same chromosomes as in Heliothis subflexa, and whether selection for use of Physalis contributes to macroevolutionary divergence. Ecologically important traits can affect both basic biological phenomena (e.g., speciation) and higher level interactions between species (e.g., the impact of insect pests on agricultural production). An improved understanding of their genetic bases could have profound impact on our understanding of the relationship between adaptation and speciation. In addition, clarification of the genetic mechanisms underlying insect hostplant range could lead to novel ways of controlling agriculturally important pest species.

对于任何生物体来说，帮助生物体适应环境的复杂性状的遗传基础尚不清楚。 当密切相关的物种对环境的适应能力不同时，这些特征的基础就特别令人着迷。 子夜蛾 (Heliothis subflexa) 和烟夜夜蛾 (Heliothis virescens) 就是这样的一对物种：最近从共同的祖先进化而来，它们在遗传上有 99% 的相似度。 尽管存在这种遗传相似性，但它们所取食的寄主植物的数量和多样性却截然不同。 Heliothis subflexa 是单食性的，仅以酸浆植物为食，而 Heliothis virescens 则是食性多面性，以 14 个植物科为食。 该提案的目标是确定通才烟夜蛾对酸浆植物的使用是否受到与亚屈烟夜蛾相同的染色体控制，以及对酸浆植物的使用选择是否有助于宏观进化分歧。 生态上重要的性状既可以影响基本的生物现象（例如物种形成），也可以影响物种之间更高层次的相互作用（例如害虫对农业生产的影响）。 更好地了解它们的遗传基础可能会对我们对适应与物种形成之间关系的理解产生深远的影响。 此外，阐明昆虫寄主植物范围的遗传机制可能会带来控制农业重要害虫物种的新方法。