REVSYS - COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: A Model System Revisited: Phylogenetic Relationships and Species Limits Among Diploid Taxa of Boechera (Brassicaceae)

开花植物Boechera属是植物生态学和进化生物学研究的热点，在北美有110种和许多濒危分类群。这些研究试图理解在一个群体中表现出有性和无性繁殖模式的分化进化和杂交过程。不幸的是，由于对其成员之间的系统发育关系了解不足，从先前对这一群体的研究中得出的结论受到了严重的限制。Bailey等人将结合北美的田野调查研究、DNA序列、形态评估和染色体信息来澄清Boechera物种之间的系统发育关系，建立有性物种与无性物种的数量和分布，并评估物种边界。由此产生的系统发育树将用于检验关于生殖模式随时间进化的假设。这项合作涉及四位在生物学不同领域具有丰富经验的研究人员。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了广泛的有机和分子生物学方面的培训。Boechera是原生植物模式生物拟南芥的近亲，这一事实增加了该研究的协同价值和更广泛的影响。最后，关于布切拉的信息传播网络资源的完成将为研究人员和对这些迷人植物感兴趣的公众提供宝贵的资源。

The flowering plant genus Boechera, with 110 North American species and a number of endangered taxa, is frequently the focus of studies in plant ecology and evolutionary biology. Such studies seek to understand processes of divergent evolution and hybridization in a group that exhibits both sexual and asexual modes of reproduction. Unfortunately, conclusions drawn from previous studies on this group have been severely constrained by a poor understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among its members. Bailey et al. will combine studies from fieldwork across North America, DNA sequences, morphological assessments, and chromosomal information to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among species of Boechera, establish the number and distribution of divergent sexual species vs. asexual species, and assess species boundaries. The resulting phylogenetic tree will be used to test hypotheses about the evolution of reproductive modes over time.This collaborative effort involves four researchers with extensive experience in diverse areas of biology. The project provides extensive training of graduate and undergraduate students in wide-ranging aspects of organismal and molecular biology. The fact that Boechera is a close relative of the primary plant model organism Arabidopsis adds to the synergistic value and broader impacts of the research. Lastly, the completion of web resources for the dissemination of information on Boechera will provide a valuable asset for researchers and members of the public interested in these fascinating plants.