CAREER: Female meiotic drive in Mimulus: a model for understanding the causes and consequences of selfish chromosomal evolution

自然选择有望有效地从动植物种群中去除有害性状;然而，不育等性状在自然种群中持续存在。 有害性状的持续存在，如不育，可能是由减数分裂过程中染色体的“自私”行为引起的，即携带有害性状的染色体也携带了自己优先遗传的基因。 本研究调查的细胞和遗传机制，进化历史，和健身的后果，自私的染色体在模式野花Mimulus guttatus。这些项目包括确定自私的染色体传递（称为减数分裂驱动）是否是由染色体结构和/或功能的分歧引起的细胞遗传学，研究减数分裂驱动强度差异的遗传基础的杂交实验，携带自私染色体对生殖的终身影响的实地测量，以及自私染色体在种群中的分布调查。因为对Mimulus的研究将允许测试自私染色体自然种群持久性的理论，这些研究将提供罕见的洞察力，了解一个知之甚少，但可能无处不在（和高度影响力）的生物过程。此外，该项目将开发一套实验室模块，以Mimulus为模型，教授遗传学和进化的基本概念，供广泛传播。博士后学者，毕业生和本科生将参与制作这些教育材料，并通过参与研究进行生物学职业培训。

Natural selection is expected to efficiently remove detrimental traits from animal and plant populations; yet, traits such as infertility persist in natural populations. Persistence of detrimental traits such as infertility may be caused by "selfish" behavior of chromosomes during meiosis, that is, chromosomes that carry harmful traits also carry genes for their own preferential inheritance. This research investigates the cellular and genetic mechanisms, evolutionary history, and fitness consequences of a selfish chromosome in the model wildflower Mimulus guttatus. The projects include cytogenetic determination of whether selfish chromosomal transmission (termed meiotic drive) is caused by divergence in chromosomal structure and/or function, crossing experiments to investigate the genetic basis of differences in the strength of meiotic drive, field measurements of the lifetime effects of carrying selfish chromosomes on reproduction, and surveys of the distribution of selfish chromosomes among populations. Because research on Mimulus will allow tests of theories about the persistence of selfish chromosomes natural populations, these studies will provide rare insight into a poorly understood, but potentially ubiquitous (and highly influential), biological process. In addition, the project will develop, for broad dissemination, a set of laboratory modules using Mimulus as a model to teach fundamental concepts in genetics and evolution. Postdoctoral scholars, graduates, and undergraduate students will be engaged in generating these educational materials, as well as trained for careers in biology through participation in the research.