Extent and genomic basis of plant adaptation

物种间的基因组差异有多少是由于适应性进化造成的？生物体DNA序列的变化是如何导致适应和进化的？在自然种群中有多少适应性进化发生？自然选择的力量在多大程度上取决于自然种群的进化史和人口学？过去几年基因组技术和基因组资源的最新进展为利用基因组方法探索这些问题提供了前所未有的机会。该研究旨在研究植物基因组中自然选择的遗传原因和程度，重点关注芥菜科的物种。这个植物家族，包括重要的加拿大作物油菜，有几个优势，特别是丰富的遗传和基因组资源。这项研究包括对DNA序列多样性的全基因组模式的调查，这些模式适合于进化模型，以推断自然选择的速度、强度和位置。该研究的第二个组成部分涉及利用种间杂交来确定在花进化中重要的基因组区域的遗传图谱。通过结合这些结果，我们可以对物种形成和植物进化的进化力量和遗传原因有新的认识。第三，我们将使用来自许多物种的种群基因组学来测试自然选择在推动基因组大小进化中的作用。在我的实验室里进行的研究为学生提供了基因组学、遗传学和进化生物学等前沿技术方面的多样化培训。

What fraction of genomic differences between species are due to adaptive evolution? How do changes in the DNA sequence of organisms lead to adaptation and evolution? How much adaptive evolution occurs in natural populations? How much is the strength of natural selection dependent on the evolutionary history and demography of natural populations? Recent advances over the last several years in genome technology and genomic resources are allowing for unprecedented opportunities to explore these questions using genomic approaches. The proposed research aims to examine the genetic causes and extent of natural selection in plant genomes, with a focus on species in the mustard family. This plant family, which includes the important Canadian crop plant canola, has several advantages, particularly a wealth of genetic and genomic resources. The research includes surveys of genome-wide patterns of DNA sequence diversity, which are fit to evolutionary models to make inferences about the rate, strength, and location of natural selection. A second component of the research involves genetic mapping using between-species crosses to identify the regions of the genome important in floral evolution. By combining the results, we can gain new insights into the evolutionary forces and genetic causes of speciation and floral evolution. Third, we will use population genomics from a number of species to test for the role of natural selection in driving the evolution of genome size. Research in my laboratory gives students diverse training in cutting-edge techniques at the interface of genomics, genetics, and evolutionary biology.