The genetics and evolution of sexual antagonism

两性代表着两种截然不同的遗传环境，因为他们所经历的选择压力是不同的，这是由于生殖角色的不同。这导致了与性别特异性适应性等位基因的冲突：性拮抗（SA）基因。这降低了两性的适应性，激发了解决冲突的强烈选择。据预测，SA变异在整个基因组中是常见的，并影响若干生物现象，如遗传变异的维持、基因表达甚至人类健康结果。由于描述的SA位点数量较少，过去对SA分辨率和进化的研究受到限制。最近的工作提供了黑腹果蝇中第一个假定的SA位点列表。本项目将这些基因座作为候选基因座，首先验证其SA表型效应，然后研究SA变异是如何维持的。首先，CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑将产生微小的基因改变并测试其效果。然后，通过对其他果蝇物种的比较和野生黑腹田鼠种群的基因组分析来探讨SA遗传变异的维持。这项工作将提供经过验证的SA位点的全貌，它们的表型影响，以及它们在不同选择压力和系统发育时间中的进化历史。

The sexes represent two very different genetic environments as the selective pressures they experience are different due to reproductive roles. This leads to conflict in the form of genes with sex-specific fitness alleles: sexually antagonistic (SA) genes. This lowers fitness in both sexes, instigating strong selection for the resolution of conflict. SA variation is predicted to be common across the genome and to influence several biological phenomena e.g. maintenance of genetic variation, gene expression and even human health outcomes. Past research into SA resolution and evolution has been limited because of the small number of described SA loci. Recent work provides the first list of putative SA loci in Drosophila melanogaster. This project takes these loci as candidates to first validate their SA phenotypic effects and then investigate how SA variation has been maintained. First, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing will enact small genetic alterations and test their effect. Then, the maintenance of SA genetic variation will be probed by comparisons within other Drososphila species and by population genomic analyses of wild D. melanogaster populations. This work will provide a full picture of validated SA loci, their phenotypic affect, and their evolutionary history, both across different selective pressures and phylogenetic time.