Social interactions and molecular evolution

这个项目将阐明一种模式生物--盘基网囊阿米巴的社会相互作用的性质和基础。 这些通常是单细胞的变形虫聚集在一起，形成一个多细胞的子实体。子实体中的大多数个体通过孢子的形成进行繁殖，但20%的个体死亡以形成有助于分散孢子的柄。对于哪些细胞会变成孢子，既有合作也有冲突。这个项目将促进对是什么使这种冲突不破坏合作的理解。 D. discoideum是唯一适合作为一个模型系统，研究合作和冲突在分子水平上。许多个体的基因组序列将被分析，以检验这一假设，即冲突导致强烈的选择，塑造了作为生物物种多样性基础的分子变异。discoideum，其基因组包括许多与人类基因相似的基因，并且足够小以进行全基因组测序。 从这个模型系统中获得的见解将帮助我们理解蜜蜂、狼和人类等明显的社会动物以及单细胞生物（包括许多导致疾病的生物）中的合作和冲突。D. discoideum在实验室中茁壮成长，世代时间短，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和编制供其他学校使用的教材，向高中生提供教育机会，并通过提供可上网查阅的新教材，向小学教师和大学生提供教育机会。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.