Evolutionary genetics of speciation and adaptation in Caenorhabditis nematodes

线虫物种形成和适应的进化遗传学

• 批准号: 326938-2013
• 负责人: Cutter, Asher
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 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=632212
• 关键词: Evolutionary; genetics; speciation; adaptation; Caenorhabditis

How do species adapt to different climatic regimes? What are the genes involved, and what are the mechanisms that operate at the molecular level to confer a match between an organism's traits and its environment? What genetic properties induce incompatible reproduction between groups of individuals to create and maintain distinct species? How general are common "rules" of such speciation, and what genetic properties underlie their evolution? These are some of the fundamental questions about the origins of biodiversity that this research seeks to answer. We aim to discern the genetic mechanisms that lead to adaptation and natural variability in traits like thermosensory behaviour and fertility that, in turn, can create and maintain species boundaries. To do so, we exploit the virtues of a model organism, the tiny nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis. These animals are superbly tractable in the lab, growing into adults in just 3 days and having a vast collection of experimental tools unavailable to most species. Our approach combines classic genetic breeding and manipulative experiments with cutting-edge technologies, including next-generation sequencing and genotyping, to rapidly map DNA sequence changes that affect important traits. We will apply these approaches to pre-existing experimental libraries of animals whose genomes are mosaics of distinct parentage and we will construct powerful new experimental tools. By conducting real-time experimental evolution in the laboratory, coupled with genome sequencing, we will decipher exactly how evolutionary processes actually manifest in genomes. This research will train highly-qualified personnel across the diverse range of experiences from undergraduate, to MSc and PhD, to postdoctoral, with skills applicable to jobs in life-science industries, biomedical sciences, government, and academia. The results of this research are anticipated to contribute broadly to our understanding of evolutionary responses of species to climate change and to the formation of biodiversity, as well as to fundamental genetic mechanisms important in animal development.

物种如何适应不同的气候制度？涉及哪些基因？在分子水平上起作用的机制是什么，以赋予生物体特征及其环境之间的匹配？哪些遗传特性会引起个体群体之间不兼容的繁殖来创造和维持不同的物种？这种物种形成的普通“规则”是多么普遍，哪些遗传特性是其进化的基础？这些是有关本研究试图回答生物多样性的起源的一些基本问题。我们的目的是辨别导致热感觉行为和生育能力等性状的适应和自然变异的遗传机制，从而可以创造和维持物种边界。为此，我们利用了模型生物体的美德，即微小的线虫round虫。这些动物在实验室中非常可触及，在短短三天内成年，并且大多数物种都无法获得大量的实验工具。我们的方法将经典的遗传繁殖和操纵实验与包括下一代测序和基因分型在内的尖端技术结合在一起，以快速映射影响重要特征的DNA序列变化。我们将把这些方法应用于预先存在的动物的实验库，其基因组是具有独特父母的镶嵌的动物，我们将构建强大的新实验工具。通过在实验室中进行实时实验进化，再加上基因组测序，我们将准确地破译进化过程在基因组中的实际表现。这项研究将培训从本科，硕士学位和博士到博士后的各种经验的高度合格人员，并具有适用于生活科学行业，生物医学科学，政府和学术界的工作的技能。预计这项研究的结果将有助于我们对物种对气候变化和生物多样性形成的进化反应以及对动物发展重要的基本遗传机制的理解。