Genetic and Ecotypic Structure of Natural Saccharomyces Populations

该项目将研究酿酒酵母和面包酵母的自然种群结构和生态变异，以及它的姊妹物种悖论酵母。在初步工作中，首席研究员（PI）已经表明，这两种酵母在自然林地环境中广泛存在，在那里它们被发现与橡树有关。PI的实验室已经从美国中西部和大西洋中部的栖息地收集了大量的这两种物种。在目前的项目中，这两个品种的进一步采集将在同一地区的葡萄园进行。DNA序列数据和标准微生物学方法将首次用于描述这些生物的遗传变异、近亲繁殖和生态变异的地理模式。酿酒酵母是基础遗传学和应用遗传学研究中最重要的生物之一。对其基因组的研究极大地促进了包括人类在内的其他高等生物的基因组学研究。然而，令人惊讶的是，我们对自然界中酿酒葡萄球菌的生态学和进化知之甚少。该项目将回答自然界酵母种群生物学的基本问题，并将为未来将酵母作为实验室和野外模式生物的进化、生态学和基因组学研究提供基础。

This project will study the structure and ecological variability of naturally occurring populations of the brewer's and baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its sister species Saccharomyces paradoxus. In preliminary work, the principle investigator (PI) has shown that both of these yeast species are widespread in natural woodland environments, where they are found in association with oaks. The PI's laboratory has established a large collection of both species from such habitats in the midwestern and mid-Atlantic United States. In the current project, further collections of both species will be carried out at vineyard sites in the same regions. DNA sequence data and standard microbiological methods will then be used to characterize geographic patterns of genetic variability, inbreeding, and ecological variability in these organisms for the first time.Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most important organisms in basic and applied genetic research. Study of its genome has greatly accelerated genomics in other higher organisms, including humans. Surprisingly, however, we know little about the ecology and evolution of S. cerevisiae in nature. This project will answer fundamental questions about the population biology of yeast in nature and will provide a basis for future research integrating evolution, ecology, and genomics using yeast as both a laboratory and a field model organism.