Collaborative Research: Does Mating-System Evolution Constrain the Adaptive Evolution of Other Traits?

合作研究：交配系统进化是否限制其他性状的适应性进化？

• 批准号: 0745562
• 负责人: Micky Eubanks
• 金额: $ 26.4万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• 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: 2007-07-01 至 2011-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0745562&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Does; Mating; System

All organisms must adapt to their environment or risk extinction. Because plants require pollen for seed production, many plant species have adapted to a lack of pollinators by self-pollinating, thus enabling them to produce seeds even in the absence of pollinators. Self-pollination, however, erodes genetic variation, the raw material for adaptation. This study examines whether self-pollination constrains the ability of plants to adapt to other important environmental challenges. Wild monkey flowers (Mimulus guttatus) will be divided into self-pollinating and cross-pollinating lines and their ability to adapt to one of the most serious threats that plants face - insect herbivores - will be tested.This collaboration unites expertise in plant mating system biology and plant-pest interactions. This study is highly relevant to conservation biology which needs to understand how reduced genetic variation affects adaptation. Because many of the most important crops are self-pollinating (e.g., wheat and rice) and are constantly bombarded by pests, this study has important applied implications. This proposal will support a postdoctoral fellow, a research assistant, and four undergraduate students. Supplemental funding will be sought to train additional undergraduates and K-12 teachers.

所有生物都必须适应环境，否则就有灭绝的危险。 由于植物需要花粉来产生种子，许多植物物种已经通过自花授粉适应了缺乏授粉者的情况，从而使它们即使在没有授粉者的情况下也能产生种子。 然而，自花授粉会削弱遗传变异，而遗传变异是适应的原材料。 本研究探讨自花授粉是否会限制植物适应其他重要环境挑战的能力。 野生猴花（Mimulus guttatus）将被分为自花授粉和异花授粉品系，它们适应植物面临的最严重威胁之一--食草昆虫--的能力将被测试。这项合作将植物交配系统生物学和植物-害虫相互作用方面的专业知识结合起来。这项研究与保护生物学高度相关，保护生物学需要了解遗传变异的减少如何影响适应。 因为许多最重要的作物是自花授粉的（例如，小麦和水稻），并不断受到害虫的轰炸，这项研究具有重要的应用意义。 该提案将支持一名博士后研究员，一名研究助理和四名本科生。将寻求补充资金来培训更多的本科生和K-12教师。