GENOME EVOLUTION--POPULATION GENETIC ASPECTS

这项工作的目标是扩大我们对如何 进化作用于基因组的分子结构。三 一般区域将使用理论人口进行调查 遗传模型：伪基因分布、拷贝数动态 在串联阵列中，以及在以下情况下复制基因的差异 同源依赖的转换。假基因检查 分布提供了一种相对有效性的指标 在多基因家族中进行选择，并可能允许歧视， 基于经验数据，选择作用于一个 特定的家庭。关于拷贝数的一个更完整的理论 串联阵列中的动力学是理解两者的关键 卫星DNA在相关类群之间的周转与其行为 简单序列DNA的运行(通常形成限制 遗传筛选中使用的多态标记)。动态的 同源依赖的基因转换下的分歧告诉我们 单个基因在多基因家族中保留多长时间 在发展理论模型方面具有相当重要的意义 通过基因复制进化新的基因功能。 理论模型经常为未来的实证工作提供领域建议 这一点并不明显。拟议研究的一个组成部分 从经验数据中测试模型预测和假设， 并努力在很少被检查的地区做出可测试的预测 基因组进化论。因此，拟议的工作审查 基因组的功能和进化方面 组织的视角与通常截然不同 使用。

The goal of this work is to extend our understanding of how evolution acts on the molecular structure of genomes. Three general areas will be investigated using theoretical population genetic models: pseudogene distributions, copy number dynamics in tandem arrays, and divergence of duplicated genes under homology-dependent conversion. Examination of pseudogene distribution provides an indicator of the relative effectiveness of selection in multigene families and may allow for discrimination, based on empirical data, of the nature of selection acting on a particular family. A more complete theory of copy number dynamics in tandem arrays is essential for understanding both satellite DNA turnover between related taxa and the behavior of runs of simple sequence DNAs (which often form restriction polymorphism markers used in genetic screening). Dynamics of divergence under homology-dependent gene conversion informs us how long individual genes remain part of a multigene family and is of considerable importance in developing theoretical models of evolution of new gene function via gene duplication. Theoretical models often suggest areas for future empirical work which are not obvious. An integral part of the proposed research is testing model predictions and assumptions from empirical data, and to strive to make testable predictions in little-examined areas of genome evolution. Thus, the proposed work examines functional, as well as evolutionary, aspects of genome organization from a rather different prospective than is normally used.