Molecular Characterization of Parthenogenetic Meiosis

描述(申请人提供)：表型可塑性，即对特定环境做出反应的不同生理状态、形态形式和/或独特行为的表现，是动物中的一种普遍现象。虽然从理论上很好地了解了可塑性反应的进化，但对这种反应的遗传和分子机制以及可塑性在疾病中的重要性知之甚少。豌豆蚜是一个新出现的模式系统，它表现出一种适应性可塑性，在这种可塑性中，环境对减数分裂的改变导致了孤雌生殖的克隆繁殖。在这个促进等位基因重组和重新分类的基本过程中，蚜虫是如何进化出可塑性的尚不清楚。这项研究的目标是在分子水平上了解减数分裂的可塑性。我建议用细胞生物学和基因组学的方法来研究产生有性减数分裂和无性减数分裂的离散分子差异。这些实验确定的候选基因和途径将使用反向遗传学和小分子抑制剂进行功能测试。这些实验代表了在一个古老的、高度保守的过程中，一个戏剧性的适应性可塑性例子的分子表征的第一步。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Phenotypic plasticity, the expression of alternate physiological states, morphological forms and/or distinct behaviors in response to specific environments, is a universal phenomenon in animals. Although the evolution of plastic responses is well understood theoretically, little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms of this response and the importance of plasticity in disease. The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, an emerging model system, exhibits an adaptive plasticity in which environmental modifications to meiosis result in parthenogenetic clonal reproduction. How aphids have evolved plasticity in this fundamental process that promotes recombination and reassortment of alleles is unknown. The goal of the proposed research is to understand meiotic plasticity at the molecular level. I propose to examine the discrete molecular differences that produce sexual and asexual meiosis in aphids using cell biological and genomic approaches. Candidate genes and pathways identified by these experiments will be functionally tested using reverse genetics and small molecule inhibitors. These experiments represent the first step toward a molecular characterization of a dramatic example of adaptive plasticity in an ancient, highly conserved process.