Genomic analysis of fitness-related traits in bighorn sheep

大角羊健康相关性状的基因组分析

• 批准号: 312207-2011
• 负责人: Coltman, David
• 金额: $ 2.77万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=548670
• 关键词: Genomic; analysis; fitness; related; traits

The aim of my research is to identify the genes that determine trait variation in wild bighorn sheep. To do this, my research group will develop a high density map of the bighorn sheep genome by making extensive use of existing genomic data from closely related domestic sheep and by developing new genomic resources for bighorn sheep. My group will develop and genotype an array of 5,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for bighorn sheep and use these to map the genes associated with traits such as body weight, horn size, longevity and temperament in two wild populations. In doing this, we will gain a better understanding of the genetic architecture (the number of genes, their action, and their interactive effects) of trait variation. Using this information, we can assess the impact of both artificial and natural selection on genetic variation to develop a broader and more general understanding of the evolutionary impact of human activity on wildlife. In one population, we will study the impact of 40 years of trophy hunting on genetic variation for horn size and body weight. We will test the hypothesis that trophy hunting has adversely affected genetic variation for horn growth, therefore leading to the evolution of rams with shorter horns by changing the frequency of horn growth alleles in the population. In a second population, we will test the hypothesis that a "genetic rescue", accomplished by the deliberate introduction of new migrants to an isolated population, was caused by the introgression of new genetic variants carried by the migrants which were subsequently favoured by natural selection. The outcomes of this work will be important both for our basic understanding of the nature of phenotypic variation in wildlife (e.g. how much of the variation that we observe is due to a few genes of large effect?) as well as for more specific questions related to the evolutionary consequences of human activity (e.g. does harvesting adversely affect the gene pool of the target population?).

我的研究目的是确定决定野生大角羊性状变异的基因。为此，我的研究小组将通过广泛利用密切相关的家羊的现有基因组数据并开发新的大角羊基因组资源，开发大角羊基因组的高密度图谱。我的团队将为大角羊开发一系列 5,000 个单核苷酸多态性 (SNP) 标记并进行基因分型，并利用这些标记来绘制与两个野生种群的体重、角大小、寿命和性情等性状相关的基因图谱。通过这样做，我们将更好地了解性状变异的遗传结构（基因的数量、它们的作用及其交互作用）。利用这些信息，我们可以评估人工和自然选择对遗传变异的影响，从而对人类活动对野生动物的进化影响有更广泛和更普遍的了解。在一个种群中，我们将研究 40 年的战利品狩猎对角尺寸和体重遗传变异的影响。我们将检验以下假设：战利品狩猎对角生长的遗传变异产生了不利影响，因此通过改变种群中角生长等位基因的频率，导致公羊进化出角较短的角。在第二个种群中，我们将检验这样的假设：通过故意将新的迁徙者引入到孤立的种群中来完成的“基因拯救”是由迁徙者携带的新遗传变异的渗入引起的，这些变异随后受到自然选择的青睐。这项工作的结果对于我们对野生动物表型变异本质的基本理解（例如，我们观察到的变异有多少是由于少数具有重大影响的基因造成的？）以及与人类活动的进化后果相关的更具体的问题（例如，收获是否会对目标种群的基因库产生不利影响？）都非常重要。