Research Starter Grant: The Genetics of Complex Phenotypes in Drosophila

大多数复杂的数量性状，如生长速度、毒性、疾病易感性、衰老或寿命，实际上是由较小的个体元素组成的多变量性状套件。这种复杂性状组的进化被预测为受到性状组内促成（共）变异的基因的数量、基因效应的强度和加性以及这些基因之间相互作用的程度和性质（即，性状组的遗传结构）。不幸的是，复杂的数量性状变异的遗传结构在很大程度上是未知的。这项研究采用了一种新的基因渗入方法来分离两种密切相关的果蝇物种之间负责翅膀形状变化的基因组区域。这些区域将通过使用全基因组精细比例尺作图方法来鉴定。通过结合这种基因渗入和作图方法，这项研究有望揭示模型数量性状的复杂、精细的遗传结构，提出的研究计划代表了一种研究动物复杂性状组遗传学的新方法，因此，它将提供可用于撬开其他生物系统中复杂性状变异背后难以捉摸的遗传结构的方法。这将产生急需的经验数据，以检验新生的、可推广的发展和进化理论的预测。

Most complex quantitative traits, such as growth rate, virulence, disease susceptibility, ageing or longevity, are actually multivariate trait suites comprised of smaller, individual elements. The evolution of such complex trait suites is predicted to be affected by the number of genes contributing to (co)variation within the trait suite, the strength and additivity of gene effects, and the degree and nature of interactions among these genes (i.e., the genetic architecture of the trait suite). Unfortunately, the genetic architecture of variation in complex, quantitative traits is largely unknown. The proposed research employs a novel introgression approach to isolate genomic regions responsible for variation in wing shape between two closely related Drosophila species. These regions will be identified by using a genome-wide, fine scale mapping approach. By combining this introgression and mapping approach, this research promises to reveal the complex, fine-scale genetic architecture of a model quantitative trait.The proposed research program represents a new way of studying the genetics of complex trait suites in animals and consequently, it will deliver methodologies that can be used to pry open elusive genetic architectures underlying variation in complex traits in other biological systems. This will generate the empirical data that are sorely needed to test predictions of the nascent, generalizable theory of development and evolution.