The maintenance of polymorphisms in natural populations: genetic and environmental correlates of within-species diversity

自然种群多态性的维持：种内多样性的遗传和环境相关性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04351
• 负责人: Mee, Jonathan
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Mount Royal University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=737574
• 关键词: maintenance; polymorphisms; natural; populations; genetic

The central goal of my research is to understand the origins of biodiversity - beginning with the causes of diversity within species, and eventually drawing inferences about the mechanisms that drive patterns of diversity among species. I explore interactions between genetic and environmental effects by conducting research on two themes: Parallelism and Plasticity. My research on both of these themes is related to the idea of constraints on diversity. Parallelism may be caused by constraints on the diversity of genes used in replicated instances of adaptive evolution. Plasticity and evolution may be constrained to use the same genetic pathways via a lack of redundancy in genetic pathways. My research on these themes addresses two long-term questions: To what extent is adaptive phenotypic evolution constrained? What genes are involved in plastic vs. fixed genetic differences between phenotypically divergent populations? Using methods in ecology and genetics, I study freshwater fishes in Canada to generate novel discoveries regarding the genetic and environmental basis of phenotypic variation. I use wild populations of brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) to study parallelism. Brook stickleback represent one of three stickleback genera (Culaea, Pungitius, and Gasterosteus) that share a parallel pattern of morphological evolution: in each genus, freshwater populations have evolved the reduction or complete loss of pelvic structures (i.e., pelvic girdles and spines). The mechanism underlying this phenotypic parallelism is unknown. My research uses polymorphic populations of brook stickleback in Alberta to address a specific short-term question: to what extent does pelvic reduction evolve via parallel genetic mechanisms among populations of stickleback? Hybrid fish in the genus Chrosomus have been the focus of my research program for over a decade. Hybrid Chrosomus are endlessly fascinating simply due to their unusual mode of reproduction - they are sperm-dependent asexual fish - and they serve as a system with which to study genetic and gene expression variation between phenotypically divergent populations. My research uses hybrid Chrosomus populations to address a specific short-term question: what genomic and gene expression differences influence phenotypic differences between hybrid Chrosomus populations? In addition to generating novel insights into the origins of biodiversity, my research program is aimed at providing unparalleled training for undergraduate students. My undergraduate students will be trained in fieldwork, molecular lab techniques, and data analysis, with the goal of success in professional or graduate schools in Canada and abroad. In particular, my students will gain in-depth hands-on experience with bioinformatics analyses, which will set them up for success in a wide variety of biological disciplines.

我研究的中心目标是了解生物多样性的起源--从物种内部多样性的原因开始，最终得出关于驱动物种间多样性模式的机制的推断。我通过对两个主题的研究来探索遗传和环境效应之间的相互作用：并行性和可塑性。我对这两个主题的研究都与限制多样性的想法有关。并行性可能是由于在适应性进化的复制实例中使用的基因多样性受到限制而造成的。由于遗传途径中缺乏冗余，可塑性和进化可能会受到限制，只能使用相同的遗传途径。我对这些主题的研究解决了两个长期问题：适应性表型进化在多大程度上受到限制？哪些基因参与了表型不同群体之间的塑料和固定遗传差异？使用生态学和遗传学的方法，我研究了加拿大的淡水鱼，以产生关于表型变异的遗传和环境基础的新发现。我用溪流刺鱼的野生种群来研究并行性。小溪刺鱼是三个刺鱼属中的一个，它们具有相似的形态进化模式：在每个属中，淡水种群都进化出减少或完全丧失骨盆结构(即骨盆腰带和脊椎)。这种表型平行的机制尚不清楚。我的研究使用艾伯塔省小溪刺鱼的多态种群来解决一个特定的短期问题：在刺鱼种群中，骨盆缩小通过平行的遗传机制进化到什么程度？十多年来，铬鱼属的杂交鱼类一直是我研究计划的重点。杂交染色体之所以令人着迷，仅仅是因为它们不同寻常的繁殖模式--它们是依赖精子的无性鱼--它们是一个系统，可以用来研究表型不同的种群之间的遗传和基因表达差异。我的研究使用杂交染色体种群来解决一个特定的短期问题：什么基因组和基因表达差异会影响杂交染色体种群之间的表型差异？除了对生物多样性的起源产生新的见解外，我的研究计划旨在为本科生提供无与伦比的培训。我的本科生将接受实地考察、分子实验室技术和数据分析方面的培训，目标是在加拿大和国外的专业或研究生院取得成功。特别是，我的学生将获得深入的生物信息学分析实践经验，这将为他们在广泛的生物学科中取得成功奠定基础。