DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Genomics of Hybrid Sterility & Speciation in the Anopheles gambiae Species Complex

论文研究：杂交不育的基因组学

• 批准号: 1601675
• 负责人: Michel Slotman
• 金额: $ 1.93万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-06-01 至 2017-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1601675&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Genomics; Hybrid; Sterility

This project will investigate genetic mechanisms driving speciation in a group of mosquitos known to transmit disease. In this group of mosquitos the number of different species has traditionally been underestimated because, while indistinguishable in appearance, the group is actually comprised of multiple genetically distinct species. Despite their importance to humans little is known about how these species arose. This project addresses three questions in mosquito genetics. First what genes are responsible for reproductive isolation between the species? Second, how do those genes diverge across time leading to speciation? And third is the pattern of change between two species consistent across different pairs of species? Several of these species are the major vectors of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to helping us understand the genetic process that creates biological diversity, this project therefore has additional societal benefits as it may help in the development and implementation of novel genetic vector control measures by, identifying genes causing sterility in mosquitoes.The name Anopheles gambiae is actually associated with a species complex of eight genetically distinct but recently diverged species that cannot be identified based on morphology. The complex is an important study system for the field of speciation genetics because species in the complex exhibit a wide range of genetic divergence, including partially isolated sub-species. Therefore this species complex allows these researchers to study speciation as it unfolds. When different species of the complex hybridize, the male offspring are sterile and females are fertile. If a hybrid female mates with a male of either parental species, the resulting second-generation hybrids exhibit varying levels of sterility due to genetic incompatibility. This allows genomic mapping of the causes of sterility through sequencing of many backcross offspring. This study will thereby map regions of the genome that cause male and female sterility in backcross hybrids between two species (An. gambiae and An. quadriannulatus). Combined with existing data on male and female sterility in backcross hybrids between An. gambiae and An. arabiensis this data will determine if the same genomic regions cause sterility across different species pairs. By comparing the patterns of divergence and their causes across multiple species pairs the research will increase our understanding of the factors driving speciation in an important group of animals.

该项目将研究驱动一组已知传播疾病的蚊子中推动物种形成的遗传机制。在这群蚊子中，传统上被低估了不同物种的数量，因为虽然外观难以区分，但该组实际上由多个遗传上不同的物种组成。尽管对人类的重要性很重要，但对这些物种的产生方式知之甚少。该项目解决了蚊子遗传学中的三个问题。首先，哪些基因负责该物种之间的生殖隔离？其次，这些基因在时间上如何发散，导致物种形成？第三，两个物种之间的变化模式在不同的物种对之间一致？这些物种中有几个是撒哈拉以南非洲人类疟疾的主要媒介。因此，除了帮助我们了解创造生物学多样性的遗传过程外，该项目还具有额外的社会利益，因为它可能通过识别引起蚊子中无菌性的基因来帮助开发和实施新型遗传媒介控制措施。该复合物是针对物种遗传学领域的重要研究系统，因为该复合物中的物种表现出广泛的遗传差异，包括部分分离的亚种。因此，该物种复合物使这些研究人员可以随着其发展而研究。当复合物的不同种类杂交时，雄性后代是无菌的，女性是肥沃的。如果杂种女性与任何一个父母物种的雄性交配，则由于遗传不相容性而导致的第二代杂种表现出不同水平的无菌性。这允许通过对许多回击后代进行测序来对无菌的原因进行基因组映射。这项研究将在两个物种（gambiae andan。quadriannulatus）之间引起男性和女性不育的基因组区域。结合现有的关于男性和女性不育的数据，在An之间的背部杂交中。冈比亚和阿拉伯语该数据将确定相同的基因组区域是否引起不同物种对的无菌性。通过比较多种物种对差异及其原因的模式，研究将增加我们对驱动重要动物种种物种形成的因素的理解。