DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Individual variation and male-female dimorphism: the role of testosterone and gene expression

男性和女性有几乎相同的基因组，但男性和女性可以在外观，生理和行为上显着不同。对表型性别差异的最接近的解释是基因表达的差异，即，哪些基因是？打开还是关闭？在男性和女性。但性别究竟如何影响基因表达是一个悬而未决的问题，还有很多东西有待了解。激素，如睾丸激素可能是控制男性和女性基因表达差异的候选者。迄今为止，这一领域的大部分研究都集中在激素的实验操作上，而不是在循环激素水平的自然个体差异中的作用。该奖项支持的研究提出了两个主要问题：（1）哪些基因和基因网络受到睾酮表型的自然个体差异的影响，以及（2）男性和女性在受影响的基因和基因网络中有何不同？黑眼junco（Junco hyemalis），一种北美鸣禽，将成为研究的主题，因为最近在这个系统中开发了基因组工具，以及关于其自然史、对睾酮的反应和行为性别差异的丰富历史数据;所有这些都是在野生种群中研究的。成功完成本项目的目标将提高我们对与睾酮自然变异相关的基因和基因网络的理解。这里提出的研究将产生更广泛的影响，因为它将为本科生研究提供独特的机会：这项研究的初步阶段已经导致本科生研究机会，四个人从代表性不足的群体。

Males and females have nearly identical genomes, yet males and females can differ dramatically in appearance, physiology, and behavior. The proximate explanation for sex differences in phenotype is differences in gene expression, i.e., which genes are ?turned on or off? in males and females. But exactly how gender affects gene expression is an open question where much remains to be learned. Hormones such as testosterone are likely candidates for controlling differences in gene expression of genes in males and females. To date much of the research in this area has focused on experimental manipulation of hormones, rather than on the role of natural, individual variation in levels of circulating hormone. The research supported by this award asks two primary questions: (1) what genes and gene networks are affected by natural, individual variation in testosterone phenotype, and (2) how do males and females differ in affected genes and gene networks? The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), a North-American songbird, will be the subject of study because of the recent development of genomic tools in this system and the wealth of historical data on its natural history, response to testosterone, and sex differences in behavior; all studied in a wild population. Successful completion of the aims of this project will enhance our understanding of the genes and gene networks that are related to natural variation in testosterone. The research proposed here will have broader impacts because it will provide unique opportunities for undergraduate research: the preliminary stages of this research have already led to undergraduate research opportunities for four individuals from underrepresented groups.