Evolutionary Genetics of Male Reproduction in House Mice

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An important goal in biology is to understand the genetic basis of variation in fertility. Recent work in many organisms has shown that genes involved in male reproduction, in particular, may be subject to strong natural selection. The proposed work seeks to understand the genetic basis of variation in male fertility using the house mouse as a model. The specific objectives of this research are to (1) document patterns of genetic variation in male reproductive genes in natural populations of house mice, (2) measure the frequency of multiple paternity (i.e. individual litters of mixed paternity) in wild populations of mice, (3) measure variation among males in sperm competitive ability in the laboratory and measure the heritability of sperm competition phenotypes, and (4) conduct association studies to identify genes that underlie variation in sperm competition. The broader significance of this work is two-fold. First, understanding of the basic principles of evolution and of the biology of reproduction will be improved, and results will be disseminated broadly. All data will be publicly available and all results will be published. It is likely that some or many of the genes identified in male mice will also be involved in human male fertility, and thus may be relevant for human health. Second, this work will provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Local high school teachers will be included in summer research, with the aim of fostering better links between the university and secondary school educators, and thereby promoting excellence in science education.