DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The mechanistic basis of seasonal color molts in snowshoe hares

该项目将测试这一假设，即某些哺乳动物改变毛色的能力是通过同步着色基因和毛发生长基因的表达的基因突变而进化的。这些结果将为复杂性状的进化过程提供一般性的见解。生物体表现出许多复杂和相互关联的特征，这些特征有助于它们在环境中取得成功。然而，人们对复杂性的演变知之甚少。研究产生复杂性状的分子和遗传机制阐明了生物复杂性的起源。这个项目将探索雪鞋兔季节性皮毛颜色变化的表达机制，雪鞋兔的颜色变化能力表现出地区差异。该项目将让本科生参与研究，项目参与者将与蒙大拿大学媒体艺术学院合作，基于研究系统开发互动外展材料。将基因类型与自然界中的适应性表型联系起来是进化生物学的基本目标。现有基因调控网络的共同选择可能是适应性性状进化的重要机制，特别是涉及不同生物过程之间协调的适应性性状。本研究将探索基因调控网络共选在雪鞋兔季节性颜色蜕皮进化中的作用。通过对正在蜕皮的雪鞋兔皮肤进行RNA测序和DNA-蛋白质结合分析，该项目将探索这样一种假设，即毛发颜色的变化是通过着色基因共同选择季节性毛发生长调节机制来同步季节性颜色蜕皮中的这些过程而产生的。这项研究将提供一个难得的机会，让人们得以一窥自然种群中复杂适应性特征进化的分子机制。

The project will test the hypothesis that the ability of some mammals to change their coat color seasonally, has evolved via a genetic mutation that synchronized the expression of coloration genes and hair growth genes. The results will provide general insights into the processes by which complex traits evolve. Organisms exhibit many complex and interrelated traits that contribute to their success in the environment. However, the evolution of complexity is poorly understood. Investigating the molecular and genetic mechanisms that produce complex traits clarify the origins of biological complexity. This project will explore these mechanisms in the expression of seasonal coat color change in snowshoe hares, which exhibit regional variation in their ability to change color. The project will involve undergraduates in research and project participants will work with the University of Montana School of Media Arts to develop interactive outreach materials based on the study system.Linking genotypes to adaptive phenotypes in nature is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology. The co-option of existing gene regulatory networks may be an important mechanism underlying the evolution of adaptive traits, particularly adaptive traits that involve coordination among distinct biological processes. This research will explore the role of gene regulatory network co-option in the evolution of seasonal color molts in snowshoe hares. Using RNA sequencing and DNA-protein binding assays in molting snowshoe hare skin, the project will explore the hypothesis that coat color change evolved by the co-option of seasonal hair growth regulatory machinery by coloration genes to synchronize these processes in the seasonal color molts. This research will provide a rare glimpse into the molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of a complex adaptive trait in a natural population.