The Genetics and Evolution of Hybrid Male Sterility in House Mice

杂交后代通常是不育的，这种生殖隔离的遗传原因为新物种的起源提供了线索。 本计画将利用家鼠来研究杂种不育的遗传与演化。 家鼠物种相对年轻，使得有可能在物种形成过程的早期阶段了解重要生殖障碍的遗传学。 遗传图谱将被用来确定基因组中导致家鼠种间杂交雄性不育的区域。 将测量DNA在天然杂交区之间交换的速率，以测试杂交不育区导致物种保持独特的预测。将利用新的基因组序列和统计工具重建家鼠物种的进化关系。这项研究将促进对物种形成和繁殖的遗传基础的理解。 这项工作将为利用家鼠可用的强大资源来识别参与物种形成的特定基因奠定基础。 许多相同的基因影响小鼠和人类的生育能力，因此该项目的结果可能指向导致人类男性不育的基因。两名博士后研究人员将通过参与该项目进行培训。此外，该项目的信息将被纳入开发一个关于物种形成过程的互联网教程，将分发给高中生物教师使用。

Hybrid offspring are often sterile, and the genetic causes of this reproductive isolation provide clues about how new species originate. This project will use the house mouse to study the genetics and evolution of hybrid sterility. House mouse species are relatively young, making it possible to understand the genetics of an important reproductive barrier at an early stage in the speciation process. Genetic mapping will be used to identify regions of the genome that cause hybrid male sterility between species of house mice. The rate at which DNA is exchanged across natural hybrid zones will be measured to test the prediction that the hybrid sterility regions cause species to remain distinct. The evolutionary relationships of house mouse species will be reconstructed using new genome sequences and statistical tools.This research will advance understanding of the genetic basis of speciation and fertility. This work will set the stage for identifying specific genes involved in speciation using the powerful resources that are available for house mice. Many of the same genes affect fertility in mice and humans, so results from this project could point to genes that contribute to male infertility in humans. Two post-doctoral researchers will be trained through participation in this project. Additionally, information from the project will be incorporated to develop an internet tutorial on the process of speciation that will be distributed for use by high school biology teachers.