Characterising the genetic architecture and fitness effects of rapid morphological diversification.

表征快速形态多样化的遗传结构和适应度效应。

• 批准号: NE/M001040/1
• 负责人: Alistair McGregor
• 金额: $ 39.57万
• 依托单位: Oxford Brookes University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FM001040%2F1
• 关键词: Characterising; genetic; architecture; fitness; effects

Explaining the diversity of life on earth has long been a goal of biology. However we understand very little about the changes in the genome that underlie variation in the way cells read, interpret and execute the instructions coded in that genome, and how such changes interact in order to produce an organism with a modified shape or size. There is also a paucity of knowledge about whether the genetic changes that affect a given trait also cause in differences in other traits, and even less about their effect on reproductive success. Male sexual characters are often among the first traits to diverge between closely related species. Characterising the genes involved, their interactions, the evolutionary forces involved and fitness consequences of this rapid evolution offers a great opportunity to understand the processes of animal diversification, reproductive isolation and the evolution of new species.Among Drosophila species, males exhibit striking differences in genitalia morphology. The posterior lobes and claspers, in particular, differ in size, shape and bristle number between species. Moreover these structures are important for proper attachment of the male to the female during mating. Despite previous mapping studies, none of the genes involved have been identified, which is required to characterise how the underling genetic changes interact, if they also cause differences in other traits, and their effect on reproductive success. Therefore, in this proposal, we aim to identify the genes underlying variation in the morphology of the clasper and posterior lobe between D. mauritiana and D. simulans. Our preliminary results have already identified several small genomic regions responsible for a large proportion of the variation in posterior lobe and clasper. Here we propose to investigate the role of candidate genes found in those regions of the genome during clasper and posterior lobe development in the model D. melanogaster, and then verify their direct role in the evolution of variation in these structures between D. mauritiana and D. simulans.Once we have identified the genes responsible for the differences in genital morphology, we will survey natural variation by sequencing those genes in several strains of each species and test if these sequences have evolved under directional selection or just by chance.Interaction between genes can either facilitate or delay the evolution of a given trait, Therefore, we will test how the D. mauritiana and D. simulans alleles interact with other genomic regions underlying variation in the clasper and posterior lobe to evaluate the contribution of additive and/or non-additive (epistatic) genetic interactions to the divergence of these two traits. Furthermore we will test if the causative genes affect gene expression or morphology, at other stages of development and in other tissues (pleiotropic effects), to evaluate these changes in the wider context of animals development and how this evolves. Finally we will test if the changes in posterior lobe and clasper morphology affect reproductive success.Our work will serve as platform for further research to test the generality our findings on genital evolution and broaden our knowledge of how the genetic mechanisms underlying developmental programs integrate genotypic information to specify the phenotype and help explain how the vast organismal diversity in the natural world has evolved. Moreover, our study of male genitalia diversity may also help to address questions regarding the genetic architecture of quantitative traits including the role of epistasis and any pleiotropic effects. Given both the prominence of studies relating genes to appearance and behaviour and our general fascination with animal diversity, research such as ours offers an opportunity to not only appreciate this diversity, but explain the genetic nuts and bolts that have shaped it.

解释地球上生命的多样性一直是生物学的目标。然而，我们对基因组中的变化知之甚少，这些变化是细胞阅读、解释和执行基因组中编码的指令的方式变化的基础，以及这些变化如何相互作用以产生具有改变的形状或大小的生物体。关于影响特定性状的遗传变化是否也会导致其他性状的差异，也缺乏知识，更不用说它们对繁殖成功的影响了。雄性的性特征往往是最早在近缘物种之间出现分歧的特征之一。描述相关的基因，它们之间的相互作用，所涉及的进化力量和这种快速进化的适应性后果提供了一个很好的机会来了解动物多样化，生殖隔离和新物种的进化过程。特别是后裂片和抱茎器，在大小、形状和刚毛数量上各不相同。此外，这些结构对于在交配期间雄性与雌性的适当附接是重要的。尽管以前的作图研究，没有一个涉及的基因被确定，这是需要的，以确定如何潜在的遗传变化相互作用，如果他们也导致其他性状的差异，以及他们对繁殖成功的影响。因此，在本研究中，我们的目标是鉴定D. mauritiana和D. simulans。我们的初步结果已经确定了几个小的基因组区域负责后叶和抱茎的变异的很大比例。在这里，我们建议研究在模型D的抱茎器和后叶发育过程中基因组的这些区域中发现的候选基因的作用。melanogaster之间的差异，进而验证它们在进化中的直接作用。mauritiana和D.一旦我们确定了导致生殖器形态差异的基因，我们将通过对每个物种的几个品系中的这些基因进行测序来调查自然变异，并测试这些序列是在定向选择下进化的还是仅仅是偶然的。mauritiana和D. simulans等位基因与其他基因组区域相互作用，这些基因组区域是抱茎器和后叶变异的基础，以评估加性和/或非加性（上位性）遗传相互作用对这两种性状分歧的贡献。此外，我们将测试致病基因是否影响基因表达或形态，在其他发育阶段和其他组织中（多效性效应），以评估这些变化在动物发育的更广泛背景下以及如何演变。最后，我们将测试后叶和抱茎器形态的变化是否影响生殖成功，我们的工作将作为进一步研究的平台，以测试我们在生殖器进化方面的发现的普遍性，并拓宽我们对发育程序背后的遗传机制如何整合基因型信息以指定表型的知识，并帮助解释自然界中巨大的生物多样性是如何进化的。此外，我们对男性生殖器多样性的研究也可能有助于解决有关数量性状遗传结构的问题，包括上位性的作用和任何多效性效应。考虑到基因与外观和行为相关研究的重要性，以及我们对动物多样性的普遍迷恋，像我们这样的研究不仅提供了一个欣赏这种多样性的机会，而且还提供了一个解释塑造这种多样性的遗传螺母和螺栓的机会。

项目成果

Sox21b underlies the rapid diversification of a novel male genital structure between Drosophila species

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.022
• 发表时间: 2024-03-11
• 期刊: CURRENT BIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 9.2
• 作者: Ridgway，Amber M.;Hood，Emily J.;Mcgregor，Alistair P.
• 通讯作者: Mcgregor，Alistair P.

Unraveling the Genetic Basis for the Rapid Diversification of Male Genitalia between Drosophila Species.

• DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa232
• 发表时间: 2021-01-23
• 期刊: Molecular biology and evolution
• 影响因子: 10.7
• 作者: Hagen JFD;Mendes CC;Booth SR;Figueras Jimenez J;Tanaka KM;Franke FA;Baudouin-Gonzalez L;Ridgway AM;Arif S;Nunes MDS;McGregor AP
• 通讯作者: McGregor AP

Unravelling the genetic basis for the rapid diversification of male genitalia between Drosophila species

揭示果蝇物种之间雄性生殖器快速多样化的遗传基础

• DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.19.161018
• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: Hagen J

Genetic architecture and functional characterization of genes underlying the rapid diversification of male external genitalia between Drosophila simulans and Drosophila mauritiana.

• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.114.174045
• 发表时间: 2015-05
• 期刊: Genetics
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Tanaka KM;Hopfen C;Herbert MR;Schlötterer C;Stern DL;Masly JP;McGregor AP;Nunes MD
• 通讯作者: Nunes MD

tartan underlies the evolution of male Drosophila genital morphology

格子呢是雄性果蝇生殖器形态进化的基础

• DOI: 10.1101/462259
• 发表时间: 2018
• 作者: Hagen J