Evolution of sperm morphology genes in sea urchins

描述（由申请人提供）：了解当前基因组序列中丰富的遗传数据如何转化为功能上重要的性状是基因组研究的一个基本目标。一个新兴的强有力的方法来解决这个问题，比较密切相关的物种与元素的差异，在关键形态特征，以确定基因，产生重要的生物特征。比较这些物种的基因序列和表达谱可以了解形态的新奇，形态发生的调控，以及形态关键基因的分子进化。拟议的研究的目标是双重的：确定负责精子形态的基因，并调查这些基因在密切相关的物种与变量精子形态，以了解遗传变异和形态学上重要的修改之间的关系。该项目将使用海胆，通过对其生殖和发育生物学的广泛了解以及正在进行的基因组测序项目来帮助实施。这项研究的结果有望在未来应用于人类生育研究，以及更好地了解基因型如何影响表型。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Understanding how the wealth of genetic data in current genome sequences translates into functionally significant traits is a fundamental goal in genome research. An emerging powerful approach to this question compares closely related species with elemental differences in key morphological traits in order to identify genes that give rise to important organismal features. Comparing genetic sequences and expression profiles across these species allows an understanding of morphological novelty, regulation of morphogenesis, and molecular evolution at morphologically critical genes. The goals of the proposed research are two-fold: to identify genes responsible for sperm morphology, and to survey those genes in closely related species with variable sperm morphology in order to understand the relationship between genetic variation and morphologically important modifications. This project will be implemented using sea urchins, aided by a vast understanding of their reproductive and developmental biology as well as an ongoing genome sequencing project. The results of this research promise future applications to fertility studies in humans as well as a greater understanding of how genotype influences phenotype.