Contemporary co-evolution of gamete recognition proteins

这个项目研究了一种海胆中相互作用的精子和卵子识别蛋白随时间的变化，在过去的200年里，海胆的种群密度经历了深刻的变化。卵子和精子表面的蛋白质决定了哪些雄性可以与哪些雌性繁殖，并经常决定一个物种是否与另一个物种不同。这项研究将确定是什么使受精在一些个体中成为可能，但在另一些个体中不可能。它结合了两个学科来理解生态过程(新的蛋白质什么时候更成功？)可以推动进化(新的蛋白质什么时候在基因组中增殖？)将深入了解种群如何快速进化生殖特征，以适应物种丰度的快速变化。它还将提供生殖行为如何影响相互作用的基因之间的关联的数据。学生，特别是那些来自代表人数不足的群体的学生，将接受分子生物学和田间生态学的培训。了解繁殖亲和性的进化可能有助于小种群的管理和保护物种的人工繁殖。理论预测，当种群密度较低，配子竞争放松时，配子识别可能会放松。受精实验将研究特定的精子和卵子蛋白如何相互作用来确定生殖兼容性，以及精子可获得性的模式如何影响对这些蛋白质的选择。海胆为探索这些问题提供了一个模型系统，这些问题在物种中是不可能的，比如哺乳动物，通过内部受精。海胆可以活200多年，这种老化能力，再加上人类驱动的海獭种群密度变化的长期数据，使这一独特的进化历史研究成为可能。这项研究将为一些男性和女性提高生殖亲和力以及为什么选择往往有利于不相容类型的进化提供关键见解。

This project examines variation over time in the interacting sperm and egg recognition proteins in a species of sea urchin that has experienced a profound shift in population density over the past 200 years. The proteins on the surface of eggs and sperm determine which males can reproduce with which females and often define whether one species is distinct from another. This study will determine what makes fertilization possible among some individuals but not others. It combines two disciplines to understand how ecological processes (when are novel proteins more successful?) can drive evolution (when do new proteins proliferate in the genome?). Insight will be gained into how populations might rapidly evolve reproductive traits to adapt to rapid changes in the abundance of species. It will also provide data on how reproductive behavior can influence the association between interacting genes. Students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, will be trained in molecular biology and field ecology. Understanding the evolution of reproductive compatibility may help in the management of small populations and captive breeding for species of conservation interest.Theory predicts that gamete recognition might be relaxed when population density is low and gamete competition is relaxed. Fertilization experiments will examine how specific sperm and egg proteins interact to determine reproductive compatibility and how patterns of sperm availability influence selection on these proteins. Sea urchins provide a model system for exploring these questions that would be impossible in species, such as mammals, with internal fertilization. The ability to age sea urchins, which can live for over 200 years, coupled with long-term data on human-driven changes in sea otter population density enables this unique historical study of evolution in action. This research will provide key insights into why some males and females have increased reproductive compatibility and why selection often favors the evolution of incompatible types.