Social interactions and molecular evolution

该项目将阐明一种模式生物——盘形变形虫（Dictyostelium disideum）的社会互动的性质和基础。这些通常是单细胞的变形虫聚集在一起形成多细胞子实体。子实体中的大多数个体通过形成孢子进行繁殖，但20%的个体死亡以形成有助于分散孢子的茎。在哪些细胞能成为孢子的问题上，既有合作，也有冲突。这个项目将促进对是什么阻止了这种冲突破坏合作的理解。disideum是唯一适合作为研究分子水平上的合作与冲突的模型系统。将对许多个体的基因组序列进行分析，以验证这样一种假设：冲突导致了强烈的选择，这种选择塑造了构成现存物种多样性基础的分子变异。许多分子和遗传资源可供d discoideum,类似于人类基因组包含了许多基因的全基因组测序的基因和足够小。从这个模型系统中获得的见解将帮助我们理解明显的社会动物（如蜜蜂、狼和人类）以及单细胞生物（包括许多致病生物）中的合作与冲突。D. discoideum在实验室中茁壮成长，并且具有较短的生成时间，为各级学生参与研究性学习创造了多样化的绝佳机会。该项目将通过与一所高中的直接合作，为高中生提供教育机会，并开发供其他人使用的材料，为小学教师和大学生提供可上网的新颖教育材料。成果的传播将包括面向普通公众和一般科学读者的文章，以及面向教师的出版物。

This project will elucidate the nature and basis of social interactions in a model organism, the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. These normally single-celled amoebas come together to form a multicellular fruiting body. Most individuals in the fruiting body reproduce through formation of spores, but 20% die to form a stalk that helps disperse the spores. There is both cooperation and conflict over which cells get to become spores. This project will advance understanding of what keeps this conflict from destroying cooperation. D. discoideum is uniquely suitable as a model system to study cooperation and conflict at the molecular level. Genome sequences of many individuals will be analyzed to test the hypothesis that conflicts cause strong selection that molds the molecular variation that underlies the diversity of living species.Many molecular and genetic resources are available for D. discoideum, whose genome includes many genes similar to human genes and is small enough for whole-genome sequencing. The insights gained from this model system will help us understand cooperation and conflict in obvious social animals such as bees, wolves, and humans, and also in single-celled organisms, including many that cause disease. D. discoideum thrives in the lab and has a short generation time, creating diverse excellent opportunities for students at all levels to participate in research-based learning. This project will provide educational opportunities to high school students through direct collaboration with one high school and development of materials for use by others, to grade school teachers, and to university students through provision of web-accessible novel educational materials. Dissemination of results will include articles for the lay public and general scientific readership, as well as publications for teachers.