COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Molecular Mechanisms Underpinning The Kin Selection Theory Of Intragenomic Conflict

合作研究：基因组内冲突的亲缘选择理论的分子机制

• 批准号: 1615664
• 负责人: Soojin Yi
• 金额: $ 24.96万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1615664&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; Molecular; Mechanisms; Underpinning

This project seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms regulating selfish and cooperative behaviors in animals, using honey bees as a model system. Previous studies showed that, in honey bees, genes inherited from the father promote selfish behavior, while the genes inherited from the mother promote cooperative behavior. The current project will use advanced genomic tools to unravel the molecular mechanisms that mediate this conflict between the father's and mother's genes, and provide a framework for understanding how the interactions between these genes generate behavior. The insights gained and methodology developed for these studies can be easily applied to explore these questions in other social animals. This project will be used as charismatic platform to increase understanding of social behavior in animals, how genes produce behavior, and why genes may be in conflict with each other, in K-12 students and teachers, the public, undergraduate and graduate students. This project evaluates the function and regulation of intragenomic conflict in mediating social behavior, using honey bees as a model system. The kin selection theory of intragenomic conflict predicts that, in honey bees, patrigenes (inherited from the father) favor selfish behavior while matrigenes (inherited from the mother) favor altruistic behavior. Previous studies provided the first empirical support for this prediction. The current research will expand on these studies by: (1) confirming that patrigene expression mediates selfish behavior by developing new methodology for allele-specific manipulation of transcript abundance; (2) determining if parent-specific gene expression (PSGE) patterns are labile and vary according to tissue and context, while still corresponding to the predictions of kin selection theory; and (3) evaluating the extent of parent-specific DNA methylation (PSDM) across the genome and its role in regulating PSGE. These studies will integrate genetic crosses, behavior, physiology, RNAi approaches, whole transcriptome sequencing, bisulfite sequencing, bioinformatics, and statistical genomics, and open the door to examining intragenomic conflict as a pervasive force that can shape a myriad of traits related to fitness in social groups.This project is co-funded by the Genetic Mechanisms Program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and by the Animal Behavior Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.

该项目旨在了解调节动物自私和合作行为的遗传机制，使用蜜蜂作为模型系统。 以前的研究表明，在蜜蜂中，从父亲那里继承的基因促进自私行为，而从母亲那里继承的基因促进合作行为。 目前的项目将使用先进的基因组工具来解开调解父亲和母亲基因之间冲突的分子机制，并为理解这些基因之间的相互作用如何产生行为提供框架。 为这些研究所获得的见解和开发的方法可以很容易地应用于探索其他社会动物的这些问题。 该项目将被用作魅力平台，以增加对动物社会行为的理解，基因如何产生行为，以及为什么基因可能相互冲突，在K-12学生和教师，公众，本科生和研究生中。本项目以蜜蜂为模型系统，研究基因组内冲突在调节社会行为中的作用和调控。基因组内冲突的亲属选择理论预测，在蜜蜂中，父系基因（从父亲继承）倾向于自私行为，而母系基因（从母亲继承）倾向于利他行为。先前的研究为这一预测提供了第一个实证支持。 目前的研究将在这些研究的基础上进行扩展：（1）通过开发新的等位基因特异性操纵转录本丰度的方法来证实父系基因表达介导自私行为;（2）确定亲本特异性基因表达（PSGE）模式是否不稳定，是否根据组织和环境而变化，同时仍然符合亲缘选择理论的预测;以及（3）评估整个基因组中亲本特异性DNA甲基化（PSDM）的程度及其在调节PSGE中的作用。 这些研究将整合遗传杂交，行为，生理学，RNAi方法，全转录组测序，亚硫酸氢盐测序，生物信息学和统计基因组学，并打开了研究基因组内冲突的大门，这种冲突是一种普遍的力量，可以塑造与社会群体适应性相关的无数特征。由分子和细胞生物科学部的遗传机制计划和综合有机系统部的动物行为计划资助。