Characterizing the Molecular Basis of Supergene Mimicry in Butterflies

蝴蝶表基因拟态的分子基础 项目摘要 性别限制多态性在动物中广泛存在，包括各种人类性状和疾病，但我们 缺乏对任何生物体中性别限制多态性的一般功能性理解。“超基因”模仿 凤蝶凤蝶是一种特别突出的性别限制的例子， 多态性和一个是服从功能表征。虽然许多理论工作 探索了超基因拟态的进化动力学，其分子和发育基础实际上是 未开发的在过去的五年里，我们已经确定，一个单一的基因，doublex，控制模仿 开关，我们研究了模仿的起源和进化，模仿的行为方面， 我们已经开发了CRISPR和多功能基因组的工具和方法， 基因组学测定。我们建议通过以下方法研究P.polytes超基因拟态的功能基础： 整合了基因组学、功能遗传学、分子生物学和发育生物学， 全面的调查。这样做，这项工作将大大扩展性的已知作用， 决定途径，并产生对性行为的分子和细胞原因的一般见解 分化、二型性和限性多态性。

Characterizing the Molecular Basis of Supergene Mimicry in Butterflies Project Summary Sex-limited polymorphism is widespread in animals, including a variety of human traits and diseases, yet we lack a general functional understanding of sex-limited polymorphism in any organism. “Supergene” mimicry in the swallowtail butterfly Papilio polytes stands out as a particularly striking example of sex-limited polymorphism and one that is amenable to functional characterization. While much theoretical work has explored the evolutionary dynamics of supergene mimicry, its molecular and developmental basis is virtually unexplored. Over the last five years we have determined that a single gene, doublesex, controls the mimicry switch in P. polytes and we have studied the origin and evolution of mimicry, behavioral aspects of mimicry, natural selection in nature, and we have developed tools and methods for CRISPR and multiple functional genomics assays. We propose to investigate the functional basis of supergene mimicry in P. polytes by integrating genomics, functional genetics, molecular and developmental biology, providing the single most comprehensive investigation of its kind. In so doing, this work will greatly expand the known role of the sexual determination pathway, and generate general insights into molecular and cellular causes of sexual differentiation, dimorphism, and sex-limited polymorphism.