Evolutionary Genetics of a Sea Urchin Skeletogenic Gene Network

海胆骨骼形成基因网络的进化遗传学。基因相互作用，并与环境产生生物体的表型，自然选择的运作。这些GxG和GxE相互作用可以在很大程度上影响对自然选择的反应。该提案概述了一个项目，以衡量遗传和环境的影响，在一个非常明确的网络相互作用的基因表型变异的影响。这些分析的主题是海胆Strongylocentrotus purpuratus的骨骼基因网络和由此产生的幼虫骨架。遗传和环境变异的影响将在不同水平的生物组织进行测定：分子表型将被测量为等位基因特异性转录，生物表型将通过解剖学的形态测定分析来测量。具体目标如下：1.测量网络表型的遗传基础。将使用8 × 8杂交来估计对表型变异的遗传贡献，以鉴定其表达对表型变异贡献最大的基因，并测量解剖学变异从基础基因表达变异中缓冲的程度。2.测量基因网络与环境的相互作用。操纵食物水平将被用来描述基因网络对关键环境变量变化的反应，测量遗传变异对这种反应的影响程度，并确定介导表型可塑性的特定基因。总之，这些分析的结果将提供有关复杂性状变异起源的详细信息，这些变异跨越一个明确定义的基因网络及其在野生种群中的解剖产物，并提供有关发育过程中的变异如何影响生态相关生物表型的见解。遗传和环境因素对表型变异的影响具有相当的普遍重要性。这个主题是理解进化过程的关键部分，但对医学和农业研究也具有广泛的意义。将对基因网络和基因表达的理解整合到这些研究中是一个挑战，但也是一个充满机遇的领域。此外，拟议的研究将涉及对年轻科学家进行现代实验室方法和分析方法方面的培训。培训将继续涉及从高中生到博士后研究人员等各级教育的学者，与以前供资期间一样。

Evolutionary genetics of a sea urchin skeletogenic gene networkIntellectual merit. Genes interact with each other and with the environment to produce the organismal phenotypes upon which natural selection operates. These GxG and GxE interactions can influence responses to natural selection to a significant degree. This proposal outlines a project to measure the impact of genetic and environmental influences on phenotypic variation within an exceptionally welldefined network of interacting genes. The subject of these analyses is the skeletogenic gene network and resulting larval skeleton of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The impact of genetic and environmental variation will be assayed at different levels of biological organization: molecular phenotypes will be measured as allele-specific transcription and organismal phenotypes will measured through morphometric analyses of anatomy. The Specific Aims are as follows: 1. Measure the genetic basis for network phenotypes. An 8 x 8 cross will be used to estimate genetic contributions to phenotypic variation, to identify genes whose expression contributes the most to phenotypic variation, and to measure the degree to which anatomical variation is buffered from variation in underlying gene expression. 2. Measure gene network-by-environment interactions. Manipulation of food level will be used to characterize the response of the gene network to changes in a key environmental variable, to measure how much genetic variation influences this response, and to identify specific genes that mediate phenotypic plasticity. Together, the results of these analyses will provide detailed information about the origins of complex trait variation across a well defined gene network and its anatomical product in a wild population, and provide insights into how variation in developmental processes affects ecologically relevant organismal phenotypes.Broader impacts. The influence of genetic and environmental factors on phenotypic variation has considerable general importance. This topic is a critical part of understanding evolutionary processes, but also has broad significance for medical and agricultural studies. Integrating an understanding of gene networks and gene expression into such studies represents a challenge, but also an area of significant opportunity. In addition, the proposed research will involve training young scientists in modern laboratory methods and analytical approaches. Training will continue to involve scholars at several levels of education, from high school students to post-doctoral researchers, as during prior funding.