Genetic mechanisms of rapid adaptive evolution in an outbred natural population

最近的研究清楚地表明，进化可以非常迅速，在短短5到10代的时间里，性状的重大遗传变化就会发生。快速进化是对主要环境变化的反应，包括自然的和人为的。然而，性状快速进化的遗传机制尚不清楚。野生萝卜花为研究这些遗传机制提供了一个很好的模型系统。以前nsf支持的关于该物种的项目已经产生了丰富的基因组序列数据，并证明了对植物繁殖至关重要的花性状的快速进化。本项目将结合传统的植物育种方法和尖端的分子遗传学和基因组学技术，确定野生萝卜适应性花性状极快进化的遗传机制。除了提高我们对适应性进化的整体理解外，该项目还将为野生萝卜（世界上最具破坏性的农业杂草之一）成功繁殖的机制提供新的见解。它还将产生基本的遗传知识。大多数遗传研究使用高度近亲繁殖的实验室菌株，但大多数动物（包括人类）和许多植物自然发生在高度近亲繁殖的种群中。为了充分了解任何性状的遗传学，包括遗传疾病，基因的影响需要在其自然近交状态下进行研究；这个项目将为此目的开发和试验新的方法。

Recent studies clearly show that evolution can be very rapid, with substantial genetic change in traits occurring in as little as five to 10 generations. Rapid evolution occurs in response to major environmental changes, both natural and human-mediated. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the rapid evolution of traits are unknown. Wild radish flowers represent an excellent model system to investigate these genetic mechanisms. Previous NSF-supported projects on this species have produced both abundant genome sequence data and demonstrated rapid evolution of floral traits that are essential to plant reproduction. This project will determine the genetic mechanisms underlying the extremely rapid evolution of adaptive floral traits in wild radish by combining traditional approaches from plant breeding with cutting-edge molecular genetic and genomic techniques.In addition to improving our overall understanding of adaptive evolution, the proposed project will provide new insights into the mechanisms of successful reproduction in wild radish, one of the world's most damaging agricultural weeds. It will also produce fundamental genetic knowledge. Most genetic studies use highly inbred laboratory strains, but most animals (including humans) and many plants occur naturally in highly outbred populations. To fully understand the genetics of any trait, including a genetic disease, the effects of the genes need to be studied in their naturally outbred state; this project will develop and test new methods for this purpose.