The evolutionary ecology of cytonuclear interactions in flowering plants

开花植物细胞核相互作用的进化生态学

• 批准号: 261292-2013
• 负责人: Caruso, ChristinaMarie
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: University of Guelph
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=631730
• 关键词: evolutionary; ecology; cytonuclear; interactions; flowering

Many plant species carry genes in their mitochondria (cytoplasmic male sterility genes (CMS)) that disrupt pollen production and result in flowers that produce only seeds. However, most flowers produce both seeds and pollen because plants often also carry genes in their nucleus (nuclear male fertility restorers (Rf)) that turn pollen production back on. I propose to study why nuclear genes that turn pollen production back on are common in some plant populations and rare in others. I will focus on understanding why carrying these nuclear male fertility restorers is costly in some environments, but not in others. My work is significant because the distribution of nuclear genes that turn pollen production back on has implications for the evolution of reproductive isolation and thus speciation in plants. In addition, understanding interactions between cytoplasmic male sterility genes and nuclear male fertility restorers is of great practical importance because these genes allow plant breeders to produce pure hybrid seed for farmers to plant.

许多植物物种的线粒体中携带基因（细胞质雄性不育基因（CMS）），这些基因会破坏花粉的产生，导致花朵只产生种子。然而，大多数花都会产生种子和花粉，因为植物的细胞核中通常也携带基因（核雄性育性恢复因子（Rf）），可以重新产生花粉。我打算研究为什么能够恢复花粉产生的核基因在某些植物种群中很常见，而在其他植物种群中却很罕见。我将重点了解为什么携带这些核男性生育力恢复剂在某些环境中成本高昂，而在其他环境中则不然。我的工作意义重大，因为重新启动花粉产生的核基因的分布对生殖隔离的进化以及植物的物种形成具有影响。此外，了解细胞质雄性不育基因和核雄性育性恢复基因之间的相互作用具有非常重要的实际意义，因为这些基因使植物育种者能够生产纯杂交种子供农民种植。