DEB: Genomics of Sexual Selection in Pipefishes and Seahorses

DEB：海龙和海马性选择的基因组学

• 批准号: 1953170
• 负责人: Adam Jones
• 金额: $ 102.82万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Idaho
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-07-01 至 2025-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1953170&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DEB; Genomics; Sexual; Selection; Pipefishes

Sexual selection is an important evolutionary mechanism that results in the evolution of extravagant ornaments, strong mating preferences, and differences between the sexes. Sexual selection also sets the stage for sexual conflict, a situation in which the evolutionary interests of the two sexes fail to coincide, resulting in traits or genes that can be beneficial to one sex but harmful to the other sex. While the effects of sexual selection and conflict on traits are well understood, little is known about how these mechanisms affect the genome. A key test of theory relating sexual selection, sexual conflict and genome evolution would entail genome comparisons in groups of related species in which some have had a history of strong sexual selection and some have had a history of weak sexual selection. In this project, the researchers will use seahorses and the related pipefishes to conduct such a test. Seahorses and some pipefishes are monogamous with long-term pair-bonds, and this mating system results in weak sexual selection and little sexual conflict. Other pipefishes have independently evolved polygamy (multiple mating by one or both sexes), which results in strong sexual selection and substantial conflict. The researchers will apply modern sequencing methodologies to delineate the impacts of sexual selection and conflict on genome evolution in these species. This project has significance well beyond seahorses and pipefishes, as many species, including humans, have had a recent evolutionary history involving sexual selection and conflict. This history can explain why the sexes are different at the level of the genome and why the same gene can have different effects in the sexes. This project will also train a new generation of graduate students and undergraduates in cutting-edge genomic techniques and statistical methodologies. In addition, it will expand the pipefish and seahorse research community by offering week-long workshops and a new wealth of publicly available genomic data.The project will involve a total of twelve taxa, including three seahorses and nine pipefishes, chosen for their phylogenetic relationships and known patterns of sexual selection. The seahorses (genus Hippocampus) and three of the pipefish species (genus Doryrhampus) are monogamous with pair-bonds, and the other six pipefish (three each from the genera Syngnathus and Nerophis) are polygamous with a history of strong sexual selection. The project will involve (1) the complete sequencing of the genomes of all twelve taxa, (2) comparative transcriptomics, which will examine patterns of sex-specific gene expression, and (3) comparative population genomics, which will detect contemporary genome-level selection. Data will be integrated across these three levels of approaches to understand the genome-level effects of sexual selection and sexual conflict in light of evolutionary theory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

性选择是一种重要的进化机制，它导致奢侈的装饰、强烈的交配偏好和性别差异的进化。性选择还为性冲突奠定了基础，在这种情况下，两性的进化利益无法重合，导致可能对一种性别有利但对另一种性别有害的特征或基因。虽然性选择和冲突对特征的影响是众所周知的，但对这些机制如何影响基因组却知之甚少。对与性选择、性冲突和基因组进化相关的理论的一项关键测试，将需要对相关物种群体进行基因组比较，其中一些物种有很强的性选择历史，一些物种有弱的性选择历史。在这个项目中，研究人员将使用海马和相关的海豚进行这样的测试。海马和一些海枪鱼是一夫一妻制，长期配对，这种交配系统导致了弱的性别选择和很少的性冲突。其他的海豚已经独立地进化出一夫多妻制(一种或两种性别的多配偶)，这导致了强烈的性别选择和实质性的冲突。研究人员将应用现代测序方法来描绘性别选择和冲突对这些物种基因组进化的影响。这个项目的意义远远超出了海马和海豚，因为包括人类在内的许多物种最近都有过涉及性别选择和冲突的进化史。这段历史可以解释为什么性别在基因组水平上是不同的，为什么相同的基因对性别有不同的影响。该项目还将在尖端基因组技术和统计方法方面培训新一代研究生和本科生。此外，它还将通过提供为期一周的研讨会和新的公开可用基因组数据来扩大海豚和海马的研究社区。该项目将涉及12个分类群，包括3个海马和9个海豚，这些分类群是根据它们的系统发育关系和已知的性别选择模式而被选中的。海马属和三种海枪鱼是一夫一妻制的，有很强的性选择历史。其他六种海豚(海马属和海豚属各有三种)是一夫多妻制。该项目将涉及(1)对所有12个分类群的基因组进行完整测序，(2)比较转录组学，这将检查性别特有的基因表达模式，以及(3)比较种群基因组学，它将检测当代基因组水平的选择。数据将被整合在这三个水平的方法中，以根据进化论理解性选择和性冲突的基因组水平的影响。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

The evolution of the testis transcriptome in pregnant male pipefishes and seahorses

• DOI: 10.1111/evo.14579
• 发表时间: 2022-07
• 期刊: Evolution
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: B. Johnson;Andrew P. Anderson;C. M. Small;Emily Rose;S. Flanagan;Corey Hendrickson-Rose;Adam G Jones