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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/I014160/1
负责人：
Rhonda Snook
金额：
$ 12.84万
依托单位：
University of Sheffield
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%2FI014160%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.

我们着迷于两性之间的形态差异。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的巨大差异。随后对性二形特征的兴趣表明，具有夸张特征的雄性交配成功率更高。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，要使这些性状发生变化，控制它们的基因也必须发生变化。这一事实引发了性选择也是分子进化的强大力量的想法。然而，性选择也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之间的相关性（例如，性二态表达或在生殖组织中的表达）和性选择的存在。最近的技术进步使我们能够超越相关的研究，直接研究基因组的变化，以应对性选择。在这里，我们建议测试性选择在分子进化中的作用，果蝇的实验进化的组合方法，其中操纵性选择是存在的或不存在的，和下一代测序，其中遗传变化由于性选择的变化直接确定。我们已经发现，与没有性选择的种群相比，存在性选择的种群在形态和行为上进化出了更大的性别差异。因此，我们可以将这些表型生物多样性的变化与这些特征相关的潜在遗传变化联系起来，这些变化被预测为性选择的结果。这项工作将为性选择如何导致遗传分化提供决定性的证据，以及它如何产生与交配系统变异相关的表型性状的惊人多样性。因此，我们将增进对生物多样性主要驱动因素之一的了解。