Deciphering Mechanisms of Prezygotic Reproductive Isolation in Solanum

智力上的优点：植物和动物都进化出了防止物种间杂交的方法。换句话说，由于阻碍杂交的生殖障碍，每个物种都与其他物种在生殖上是隔绝的。这项研究的重点是了解茄属内物种之间生殖障碍的性质，该属包括两个重要的作物物种，马铃薯和番茄。在前一个资助期，确定了物种间杂交中生殖障碍形成的时间和障碍作用的地点，并确定了参与形成生殖障碍的雄性和雌性基因。在目前的项目中，这些信息将被用来探索在交配尝试期间构成物种间识别和排斥的详细分子机制。先前的研究已经发现，有一群沙门氏菌(一种野生番茄物种)具有早期的生殖障碍，将其与其他种群隔离开来。这个系统现在将被开发为一个强大的模型，用于回答有关新物种如何进化的基本问题。在之前的资助期间，研究是用番茄进行的，因为它是遗传和基因组研究的极好的模式系统。在目前的项目中，对生殖障碍的研究将扩展到马铃薯，这是一种在全球范围内日益重要的作物。更广泛的影响：研究实验室的本科生、研究生和博士后研究员将在生物学入门课程中参与本科生“多心”实验室的教学；这将确保随着他们职业生涯的发展，研究和教学的整合成为第二天性。公众宣传也将是该项目的一个关键组成部分。在该项目期间，将制作三个90秒的广播插播，在公共广播地球和天空系列节目中播出，覆盖约1500万听众。此外，还将为EarthSky网站和该项目网站(www.irbtomato.org)制作三个播客。这些媒体努力的一个主题将是保存野生种质的重要性，以西红柿为例，这应该真正引起非专业观众的共鸣。该项目还将通过促进作物改良来影响社会。番茄和土豆的野生近亲拥有抵抗病原体、干旱、寒冷和盐分的基因--这些特征在全球气候变化的时代特别重要。不幸的是，获得这些重要农艺性状往往受到生殖障碍的阻碍或阻碍。该项目将导致理解，通过改变生殖障碍，将促进驯养物种和野生物种之间的物种间杂交；这一进展将极大地扩大作物改良的遗传基础，包括对疾病和环境压力的抗性。

Intellectual Merit: Both plants and animals have evolved ways to prevent interbreeding between species. In other words, each species is reproductively isolated from other species because of reproductive barriers that prevent hybridization. The focus of this research is to understand the nature of reproductive barriers between species within the genus Solanum, which includes two important crop species, potato and tomato. In the previous funding period, the timing of reproductive barrier formation and site of barrier action in inter-species crosses was determined, and male and female genes involved in forming reproductive barriers were identified. In the current project, this information will be used to pursue the detailed molecular mechanisms that constitute inter-species recognition and rejection during mating attempts. Prior research has identified a population of S. habrochaites (a wild tomato species) with incipient reproductive barriers that isolate it from other populations. This system will now be developed as a powerful model for answering fundamental questions about how new species evolve. In the previous funding period, studies were conducted using tomato because it is an excellent model system for genetic and genomic studies. In the current project, research on reproductive barriers will be expanded into potato, an increasingly important crop worldwide. Broader Impacts: Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in the research laboratories will participate in the teaching of undergraduate 'Many Minds' laboratories in an Introductory Biology course; this will ensure that integration of research and teaching becomes second nature as their careers advance. Public outreach will also be a key component of the project. During this project three 90-second radio spots will be produced to air on the public radio Earth & Sky series, which reaches about 15 million listeners. In addition, three podcasts will be produced for the EarthSky (www.earthsky.org) and the project (www.irbtomato.org) web sites. One topic of these media efforts will be the importance of preserving wild germplasm, using tomato as an example, which should truly resonate with lay audiences. The project will also impact society by advancing crop improvement. The wild relatives of tomato and potato possess genes for resistance to pathogens, drought, cold and salinity--traits that are particularly important in a time of global climate change. Unfortunately, accessing these important agronomic traits is often prevented or impeded by reproductive barriers. This project will lead to understanding that will facilitate inter-species crosses between domesticated and wild species by altering reproductive barriers; this advance will greatly expand the genetic base for crop improvement to include resistance to disease and environmental stresses.