Dissecting the molecular basis and assembly of a complex morphological trait

剖析复杂形态特征的分子基础和组装

• 批准号: 8861499
• 负责人: Peter Andolfatto
• 金额: $ 45.78万
• 依托单位: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-05-01 至 2019-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8861499
• 关键词: Abdomen; Address; Affect; Alleles; Behavior; Biological Models; Biology; Chromosomes; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; Color; Complex; Control Locus; DNA; Development; Dissection; Drosophila genus; Drosophila melanogaster; Enzymes; Event; Evolution; Exhibits; Gene Mutation; Genes; Genetic Techniques; Genome; Genomics; Goals; Human; In Situ Hybridization; Individual; Island; Knowledge; Lead; Life; Literature; Maps; Modeling; Molecular; Molecular Genetics; Molecular Profiling; Morphology; Mutation; Pathway interactions; Pattern; Phenotype; Pigmentation physiologic function; Pigments; Polygenic Traits; Population; Process; Proteins; Quantitative Trait Loci; Regulation; Relative (related person); Research; Resistance; Role; Rosa; Shapes; System; Techniques; Time; Transgenic Organisms; Uncertainty; Variant; Work; base; functional genomics; gene function; genetic evolution; genome editing; genome-wide; male; mutant; population survey; public health relevance; reconstruction; sample fixation; trait; transcriptome sequencing

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research is to dissect the causative genes and mutations underlying a complex trait, and trace the stepwise process by which the identified causative alleles arose and spread through an isolated population to generate a fixed morphological phenotype. The species Drosophila santomea exhibits a recently evolved, drastic shift in its pigment patterns that represents an optimal model system in which to dissect complex polygenic traits. Our previous work identified the gene underlying one of four major QTL contributing to this trait. Analysis of multiple individuals in the population revealed that causative alleles of this gene arose several times in parallel in the D. santomea population (i.e. a "soft sweep"). Here, we propose to employ molecular genetic techniques (introgression mapping and transgenic complementation) to identify causative genes and mutations responsible for two additional QTL. Using a combination of molecular and genomic techniques (in situ hybridization, RNA-seq), we will then assess how these loci interact with each other, as well as how they impact the genome-wide profile of expression. Finally, we will survey population variation at these additional causative loci to assess whether a similar soft sweep occurred, and determine whether these genes exhibit signs of positive selection. This study will provide a rare vista of a complex morphological trait that integrates molecular studies of gene function with processes occurring at the population level.

 描述（由申请人提供）： 本研究的目的是剖析一个复杂性状的致病基因和突变，并跟踪确定的致病等位基因出现和传播通过一个孤立的群体，以产生一个固定的形态表型的逐步过程。果蝇（Drosophila santomea）物种的色素模式最近发生了巨大的进化变化，这代表了剖析复杂多基因性状的最佳模型系统。我们以前的工作确定了四个主要QTL之一的基因有助于这一性状。对群体中多个个体的分析表明，该基因的致病等位基因在D. santomea人口（即“软扫描”）。在这里，我们建议采用分子遗传技术（渐渗作图和转基因互补），以确定致病基因和突变负责两个额外的QTL。使用分子和基因组技术（原位杂交，RNA-seq）的组合，我们将评估这些位点如何相互作用，以及它们如何影响全基因组表达谱。最后，我们将调查这些额外的致病基因座的群体变异，以评估是否发生了类似的软扫描，并确定这些基因是否表现出正选择的迹象。这项研究将提供一个罕见的复杂形态特征的前景，该特征将基因功能的分子研究与种群水平上发生的过程整合在一起。