Dissertation Research: Evolution of Reproductive Proteins in Peromyscus

参与生殖的蛋白质是各种生物中进化最快的基因之一。 这种惊人的模式是特别感兴趣的生殖蛋白介导的物种特异性受精，从而有可能有助于物种形成过程。在哺乳动物中，雄性和雌性生殖蛋白的适应性进化在远亲物种中已有记载。 本项目将研究鹿鼠（鹿鼠属）近缘物种之间的生殖蛋白进化。 本研究将利用分子和统计学方法，（1）鉴定鹿鼠睾丸中表达的快速进化蛋白，（2）表征交配系统对进化速率的影响，（3）检查一个物种（P.truei）内雄性生殖蛋白的变异。 这项工作将提供一个详细的了解如何生殖蛋白进化密切相关的物种之间，生殖障碍的行为。这项工作将显着有助于生殖蛋白的进化动力学的理解。该项目的更广泛影响将是（1）提供一个基于网络的程序，使科学家能够将任何组织中表达的基因与相关物种的基因组进行比较，（2）提供有关精子蛋白质快速进化区域的信息，这些区域可能对其生殖功能很重要，以及3）通过培训本科生整合教学和研究。

Proteins involved in reproduction are among the most rapidly evolving genes in a wide variety of organisms. This striking pattern is of particular interest as reproductive proteins mediate species-specific fertilization, and thus have the potential to contribute to the speciation process. In mammals, adaptive evolution of male and female reproductive proteins has been documented among distantly related species. This project will investigate reproductive protein evolution between closely related species of deermice (genus Peromyscus). Using molecular and statistical approaches, this study will (1) identify rapidly evolving proteins expressed in deermice testis, (2) characterize the effects of mating system on rates of evolution, and (3) examine variation of male reproductive proteins within one species (P. truei). This work will provide a detailed understanding of how reproductive proteins have evolved between closely related species, where reproductive barriers act.This work will significantly contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of reproductive proteins. The broader impacts of this project will be (1) providing a web-based program allowing scientists to compare genes expressed in any tissue to the genome of a related species, (2) providing information about rapidly evolving regions of sperm proteins which may be important for their reproductive functions, and 3) integrating teaching and research by training undergraduates.