Deciphering Mechanisms of Prezygotic Reproductive Isolation in Solanum

智力优势：植物和动物都进化出了防止物种间杂交的方法。换句话说，由于阻止杂交的生殖障碍，每个物种在生殖上与其他物种隔离。本研究的重点是了解茄属内物种之间的生殖障碍的性质，茄属包括两个重要的作物物种，马铃薯和番茄。在上一个资助期，确定了种间杂交中生殖障碍形成的时间和障碍作用的位点，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，这些信息将被用来追求详细的分子机制，构成物种间的识别和拒绝在交配尝试。先前的研究已经确定了一个S。habrochaites（一种野生番茄物种），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，用于回答新物种如何进化的基本问题。在上一个资助期，研究是使用番茄进行的，因为它是遗传和基因组研究的一个很好的模型系统。 在目前的项目中，关于生殖障碍的研究将扩大到马铃薯，这是一种在世界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参加本科生“许多头脑”实验室的生物学入门课程的教学;这将确保研究和教学的整合成为他们职业生涯的第二天性。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秒的广播插播节目，在公共广播电台“地球天空”系列节目中播出，听众约有1 500万人。 此外，还将为EarthSky（www.earthsky.org）和项目（www.irbtomato.org）网站制作三个播客。这些媒体努力的一个主题将是保护野生种质的重要性，以番茄为例，这应该真正引起外行观众的共鸣。 该项目还将通过促进作物改良来影响社会。番茄和马铃薯的野生亲缘植物拥有抵抗病原体、干旱、寒冷和盐碱的基因，这些特性在全球气候变化时期尤为重要。不幸的是，获得这些重要的农艺性状往往被生殖障碍所阻止或阻碍。该项目将导致理解，通过改变生殖障碍促进驯化和野生物种之间的物种间杂交;这一进展将大大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.