DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Examining conflicting selection pressures on floral morphology of Silene stellata by the pollinating seed predator Hadena ectypa

动物传粉者被认为对它们授粉的花内的不同结构产生相互冲突的选择压力。本研究将探讨不同的选择压力雄蕊和雌蕊内的花的蝇子草，一种本地多年生草本植物，Hadena ectypa，夜行蛾，作为传粉者，以及种子捕食蝇子草。这是一个开创性的研究，在很大程度上未开发的领域的冲突选择压力的不同方面的花形态在一个两性植物物种，并将提供宝贵的见解花的多样性的演变。此外，该项目将测试和优化遗传技术的应用，以估计花粉供体的繁殖成功率。该项目为研究生提供了良好的培训机会，也将涉及几个本科生研究助理和高中实习生在所有的分子生物学和遗传学方面。本研究将建立在连续两年的田间试验，以调查表型选择的雄蕊和雌蕊的花的蝇子草，该项目将开发和使用24个高度可变的微卫星遗传标记，以评估从231个标记的成年个体中萌发的2138个幼苗中花粉供体的繁殖成功率。然后通过确定幼苗和成年植物的多基因座基因型来估计花粉供体的成功。 确定四倍体（如星状蝇子草）内花粉供体身份所需的高分辨率基因分型需要开发额外的遗传标记。 这些新的标记将促进未来的遗传研究的蝇子草，并将提供一个模型的方法，为其他研究人员调查遗传学知之甚少，多倍体物种。

Animal pollinators are thought to produce conflicting selective pressures on different structures within the flowers they pollinate. This study will investigate the differing selection pressures on stamens and pistils within flowers of Silene stellata, a native perennial herb, by Hadena ectypa, a nocturnal moth that acts as a pollinator as well as a seed predator of Silene. This is a pioneering study into the largely unexplored area of conflicting selective pressures on different aspects of floral morphology within a hermaphroditic plant species and will provide valuable insights into the evolution of floral diversity. In addition, this project will test and optimize the application of a genetic technique to estimate reproductive success of the pollen donor. The project provides excellent training opportunities for the graduate student and will also involve several undergraduate research assistants and high school interns in all of molecular biology and genetic aspects.This research will build on two successive years of field experiments to investigate phenotypic selection on stamens and pistils in flowers of Silene stellata, This project will develop and employ 24 highly variable microsatellite genetic markers to assess reproductive success of the pollen donor within 2138 seedlings germinated from a population of 231 tagged adult individuals. Success of the pollen donor will then be estimated by determining the multi-locus genotypes of the seedlings and the adult plants. The high resolution genotyping required to determine the identity of the pollen donor within a tetraploid such as Silene stellata necessitates the development of additional genetic markers. These new markers will facilitate future genetic studies of Silene stellata and will provide a model approach for other researchers investigating the genetics of poorly known, polyploidy species.