RUI - Testing of the Evolutionary Potential of Polyploids in the Context of Climate Change

RUI - 气候变化背景下多倍体进化潜力的测试

• 批准号: 0641285
• 负责人: Julie Etterson
• 金额: $ 57.63万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota Duluth
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-02-01 至 2013-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0641285&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Testing; Evolutionary; Potential; Polyploids

Anthropogenic climate change will alter patterns of natural selection and pose strong evolutionary challenges to wild organisms. Plant species that have experienced genome doubling, or polyploidy, may have an advantage over those possessing a single copy of the genome because they can evolve faster or in novel directions in response to climate change. Examination of the creative role of polyploidy is important given that genome duplication is thought to have occurred in 47%-70 % of flowering plant species. This research will test the evolutionary potential of polyploids by imposing artificial selection for increased drought tolerance in a polyploid species (goldenrod, Solidago altissima) that varies naturally in chromosome number (2, 4, and 6 copies). The central hypothesis of this research will be supported if plants with higher chromosome numbers evolve faster in response to artificial selection. This work will provide a large number of students with intensive hands-on training in lab and field techniques and provide opportunities for independent research at the graduate and undergraduate level. This research fulfills the objectives of the RUI program by addressing a question of great interest to society, the impact of climate change, and by providing solid training to a diversity of students who will become the next generation of scientists.

人为气候变化将改变自然选择的模式，并对野生生物体带来强大的进化挑战。经历过基因组加倍或多倍体的植物物种可能比那些拥有单一基因组拷贝的植物物种具有优势，因为它们可以更快地进化或朝着新的方向进化以应对气候变化。鉴于基因组复制被认为发生在 47%-70% 的开花植物物种中，因此检查多倍体的创造性作用非常重要。这项研究将通过对染色体数目自然变化（2、4 和 6 个拷贝）的多倍体物种（黄花、一枝黄花）进行人工选择来提高耐旱性，从而测试多倍体的进化潜力。如果染色体数目较高的植物响应人工选择而进化得更快，那么这项研究的中心假设将得到支持。这项工作将为大量学生提供实验室和现场技术方面的强化实践培训，并为研究生和本科生提供独立研究的机会。这项研究通过解决社会高度关注的问题、气候变化的影响，以及为将成为下一代科学家的各类学生提供扎实的培训，实现了 RUI 项目的目标。