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消除动植物种群中的有害特征；然而，不育等特征在自然种群中仍然存在。不育症等有害性状的持续存在，可能是由于染色体在减数分裂过程中的“自私”行为所致，即携带有害性状的染色体也携带有自身优先遗传的基因。这项研究调查了模式野花含羞草中自私染色体的细胞和遗传机制、进化历史和适合性后果。这些项目包括确定自私的染色体传播(称为减数分裂驱动)是否是由染色体结构和/或功能的差异引起的；进行交叉实验以调查减数分裂驱动强度差异的遗传基础；实地测量携带自私染色体对生殖的终生影响；以及调查自私染色体在种群中的分布。由于对Mimulus的研究将允许对关于自私染色体自然种群持久性的理论进行测试，这些研究将为人们提供对这一鲜为人知、但潜在无处不在(且具有高度影响力)的生物过程的难得洞察。此外，该项目将开发一套实验室模块，用于广泛传播，使用Mimulus作为教授遗传学和进化论基本概念的模型。博士后学者、毕业生和本科生将参与制作这些教育材料，并通过参与研究为生物学职业生涯进行培训。

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.