Molecular Basis of F2 Hybrid Breakdown

F2 杂化分解的分子基础

• 批准号: 1051057
• 负责人: Ronald Burton
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-02-01 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1051057&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Molecular; Basis; F2; Hybrid; Breakdown

Geographically isolated populations diverge genetically over time and may ultimately become new species. Early in the process, when the populations can still interbreed, genetic incompatibilities often result in loss of fitness in interpopulation hybrids. The proposed research uses the marine copepod, Tigriopus californicus, to examine molecular mechanisms underlying loss of fitness in hybrids. Recent work has shown that hybrids are characterized by reduced activity of the electron transport system in mitochondria, the energy producing part of all animal cells. Experiments are proposed to extend our understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in hybrids using two recently developed molecular tools, RNA interference (to manipulate gene expression) and whole transcriptome sequencing (to obtain a global view of gene expression). Together, these will tease apart changes in gene expression in response to genome hybridization versus changes in response to the external environment. These methods will be used to compare the responses of natural populations and laboratory hybrids to determine the genes involved in population incompatibility. Although the proposed work is primarily motivated by questions in evolutionary biology, its focus on mitochondrial dysfunction is of broad interest throughout biomedical sciences, especially in the fields of aging and nuclear transplantation. The investigations will provide unique training opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers seeking to integrate studies of molecular biology, physiology, and genetics to address important questions in biology. The results of the work (and the methods employed) also serve as starting points for diverse outreach activities including public lectures, curriculum development in molecular ecology, and development of K-12 laboratory activities implemented in public schools by an environmental education organization.

地理上孤立的种群随着时间的推移在遗传上产生分歧，最终可能成为新的物种。 在这个过程的早期，当种群仍然可以杂交时，遗传不相容性往往导致种群间杂种的适应性丧失。这项拟议中的研究使用海洋桡足类，Tigriopus californicus，来研究杂种中适应性丧失的分子机制。最近的研究表明，杂种的特征是线粒体中电子传递系统的活性降低，线粒体是所有动物细胞的能量产生部分。实验提出，以扩大我们的理解线粒体功能障碍的杂交使用两个最近开发的分子工具，RNA干扰（操纵基因表达）和全转录组测序（以获得一个全球性的基因表达）。总之，这些将梳理除了基因表达的变化，以响应基因组杂交与变化，以响应外部环境。 这些方法将用于比较自然群体和实验室杂交种的反应，以确定涉及群体不相容性的基因。虽然拟议的工作主要是出于进化生物学的问题，但其对线粒体功能障碍的关注在整个生物医学科学中引起了广泛的兴趣，特别是在衰老和核移植领域。 调查将为本科生，研究生和博士后研究人员提供独特的培训机会，寻求整合分子生物学，生理学和遗传学的研究，以解决生物学中的重要问题。 工作的结果（和所采用的方法）也作为各种外展活动的起点，包括公开讲座，分子生态学课程开发，以及环境教育组织在公立学校实施的K-12实验室活动的发展。