Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genetic and evolutionary determinants of the immune response in wild primates

病毒和细菌被认为在塑造灵长类进化中发挥了重要作用，但关于病原体如何改变灵长类基因组并影响特征多样性，仍有许多悬而未决的问题。关于灵长类进化中最重要的病原体的类型，为应对这些威胁而出现的遗传变异的类型，以及免疫基因的遗传变异是否影响目前与健康相关的特征，可以了解更多。这篇博士论文研究了野生灵长类动物系统中参与免疫防御的基因的调节，重点是人口统计学、行为学和生理学数据也可获得的深入研究的种群。这位博士生研究自然选择如何塑造过去对病原体的基因表达反应，并检查免疫相关基因表达变异、显性等级和其他生理特征之间的关系。该项目支持学生指导和培训机会、国际研究合作，以及通过博物馆和会议活动参与公共科学活动。研究人员测量了160只单独识别的成年狒狒在是否存在模拟细菌或病毒感染的刺激物的情况下的全基因组基因表达。通过控制年龄、优势等级、血缘关系和其他也影响免疫功能的因素，研究了免疫反应的差异与狒狒之间的遗传差异的联系。将这些发现与同一狒狒种群的基因组序列相结合，该项目调查参与对细菌和/或病毒的免疫反应的基因是否一直是历史或最近选择的目标，并测试影响免疫反应的遗传变异是否也影响对当前生理健康和健康重要的特征。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。

Viruses and bacteria are thought to have played an important role in shaping primate evolution, but many open questions remain about how pathogens have acted to change primate genomes and influence trait diversity. More can be learned about the types of pathogens that have been most important in primate evolution, the types of genetic variants that have arisen to deal with these threats, and whether genetic variation in immune genes influences fitness-related traits in the present. This doctoral dissertation project studies the regulation of genes involved in immune defense in a wild primate system, focusing on an intensively studied population for which demographic, behavioral, and physiological data are also available. The doctoral student investigates how natural selection has shaped the gene expression response to pathogens in the past, and examines associations between immune-related gene expression variation, dominance rank, and other physiological characteristics. The project supports student mentorship and training opportunities, international research collaborations, and public science engagement through museum and conference events. The investigator measures genome-wide gene expression in either the presence or absence of stimuli that model bacterial or viral infection, for 160 individually recognized adult baboons. Differences in immune responses are examined for linkages to genetic differences between baboons, controlling for age, dominance rank, kinship, and other factors that also influence immune function. Integrating these findings with genome sequences from the same baboon population, the project investigates whether genes involved in the immune response to bacteria and/or viruses have been the target of historic or recent selection and tests whether genetic variation that influences the immune response also affects traits that are important to current physiological wellbeing and fitness.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.