RUI: Understanding the role of duplicate Hox genes in the evolution of novelty by investigating patterns of molecular evolution and functional divergence in a basal ray-finned fish

进化生物学中最有趣的话题之一是什么类型的遗传变化负责产生表型多样性。 在这个项目中将要检验的中心假设是，基因复制在脊椎动物新特征的进化中发挥了重要作用，更具体地说，在白鲟的细长喙中。 美国白鲟生活在密西西比河流域浑浊的沃茨，它有着细长的喙--这是一种夸张的新特征，具有电感觉能力。 这种魅力生物属于一个动态的基因组复制历史的命令，数据表明，一个独立的基因组复制发生在白鲟。 基因复制被认为是具有新功能和相关表型新颖性的基因出现的主要机制，但对导致复制基因最初保留的进化过程还没有很好的理解。 一个名为Hox基因的基因家族与身体平面特征的进化有关。 然而，以前的研究Hox基因在鱼类喙和鳍发育过程中的表达没有考虑到这一点。 本项目将研究白鲟中重复的Hox基因的分子进化和功能分歧的各个方面。 这项工作意义重大，因为它确定了与新结构进化相关的遗传途径，通过维持最多样化的脊椎动物群，鳍鱼中的重复基因。 这项工作具有重要和广泛的影响，因为它有助于在旧金山弗朗西斯科州立大学培训代表性不足的少数民族学生和女学生，这是一所主要为本科生服务的机构，为大量少数民族学生提供服务。 此外，这项研究的结果将被注入到在旧金山弗朗西斯科州立大学的本科课程。

One of the most intriguing topics in evolutionary biology is the question of what types of genetic changes are responsible for generating phenotypic diversity. The central hypothesis that will be tested in this project is that gene duplication has played an important role in the evolution of novel features in vertebrates, more specifically in the elongated rostrum in the paddlefish. The American paddlefish makes its living in the murky waters of the Mississippi River Basin with its elongated rostrum - an exaggerated novel feature with electrosensory capabilities. This charismatic organism belongs to an order with a dynamic genome duplication history, and data indicate that an independent genome duplication occurred in paddlefish. Gene duplication is regarded as the predominant mechanism by which genes with new functions and associated phenotypic novelties arise, but the evolutionary processes contributing to the initial retention of duplicate genes are not well understood. A family of genes called Hox genes have been implicated in the evolution of body plan features. However previous studies on Hox gene expression during rostrum and fin development in fish have not taken this into account. This project will examine various aspects of the molecular evolution and functional divergence of duplicated Hox genes in paddlefish. The proposed work is significant because it identifies genetic pathways associated with the evolution of novel structures, via maintenance of duplicate genes in the most diverse vertebrate group, ray-finned fishes. This work has important and broad impacts because it contributes to the training of underrepresented minority and female students at San Francisco State University, a primarily undergraduate institution that serves large numbers of minority students. In addition, the results of this research will be infused into the undergraduate curricula at San Francisco State.