权益分类	功能权益	普通用户	{{item.name}}会员
{{category.name}}	{{benefitItem.name}}

Evolution of gene expression in response to sexual selection

响应性选择的基因表达进化

基本信息

批准号：
NE/I014136/1
负责人：
Andrew Cossins
金额：
$ 17.09万
依托单位：
University of Liverpool
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2011 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FI014136%2F1
关键词：
Evolution gene expression response sexual

项目摘要

We are fascinated with morphological differences between the sexes. Darwin explained the observation that males and females can differ dramatically in morphology with his theory of sexual selection, or the competition for mates. Subsequent interest in sexually dimorphic traits showed that males who bear exaggerated features enjoyed greater mating success. Thus, increased intensity of sexual selection is predicted to increase trait exaggeration and therefore sexual selection is considered to be a major force responsible for biodiversity. For these trait changes to occur, however, the genes that control them must also change. This fact gave rise to the idea that sexual selection is also a strong force responsible for molecular evolution. However, evidence that sexual selection also causes changes in the genome is indirect, largely based on correlations between differences in genes associated with reproduction (e.g., sexually dimorphic expression or expression in reproductive tissues) and the presence of sexual selection. Recent technological advances allow us to move beyond correlative studies and directly examine genomic changes in response to sexual selection. Here we propose to test the role of sexual selection in molecular evolution by a combined approach of experimental evolution of fruit flies, in which sexual selection is manipulated to be either present or absent, and next generation sequencing, in which genetic changes due to variation in sexual selection are identified directly. We already have found that populations in which sexual selection is present have evolved greater sex differences in morphology and behaviour compared to populations in which sexual selection is absent. We can thus connect these phenotypic biodiversity changes that were predicted as a consequence of sexual selection with the underlying genetic changes associated with these traits. This work will provide decisive evidence for how sexual selection causes genetic divergence, and in turn how it may generate the spectacular diversity of phenotypic traits associated with variation in mating systems. Thus, we will improve our understanding of one of the major drivers of biological diversity.

我们对两性之间的形态差异着迷。达尔文用他的性选择理论或配偶竞争理论解释了雄性和雌性在形态上可能存在巨大差异的观察结果。随后对性别二态性特征的兴趣表明，具有夸张特征的雄性享有更大的交配成功率。因此，性选择强度的增加预计会增加性状夸大，因此性选择被认为是生物多样性的主要力量。然而，要发生这些性状变化，控制它们的基因也必须发生变化。这一事实引发了这样一种观点：性选择也是分子进化的强大力量。然而，性选择也会导致基因组变化的证据是间接的，主要基于与生殖相关的基因差异（例如，性二态性表达或生殖组织中的表达）与性选择的存在之间的相关性。最近的技术进步使我们能够超越相关研究，直接检查响应性选择的基因组变化。在这里，我们建议通过果蝇实验进化和下一代测序的组合方法来测试性选择在分子进化中的作用，其中性选择被操纵为存在或不存在，而下一代测序则直接识别由于性选择变化而引起的遗传变化。我们已经发现，与不存在性选择的群体相比，存在性选择的群体在形态和行为方面进化出更大的性别差异。因此，我们可以将这些因性选择而预测的表型生物多样性变化与与这些性状相关的潜在遗传变化联系起来。这项工作将为性选择如何导致遗传分化，以及它如何产生与交配系统变异相关的表型特征的惊人多样性提供决定性的证据。因此，我们将增进对生物多样性主要驱动因素之一的理解。