REU: ROW: Cytoplasmically Inherited Incompatibility Factors in the Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum

这项研究将研究生态和进化 影响生殖的微生物的后果 拟谷盗Tribolium confusum不亲和性。 感染了这种特殊微生物的雄性不能产生 与未受感染的雌性交配的后代。 的 微生物从母亲传给后代。 如果 将所述微生物引入未感染的群体， 由于对宿主没有足够的负面影响， 预计会在人群中传播。 史蒂文斯医生会 研究生殖不亲和性如何影响宿主 健康、精子利用率和精子竞争。 她还将 确定细胞质的敏感性是否存在变化， 影响高温固化的因素。 这项研究很重要 基础科研，因为它将阐明如何 这些感染性微生物与其宿主之间相互作用 在进化过程中是很重要的。 结果还可能 在害虫管理方面有潜在的应用;面粉甲虫 本身是一种主要的储藏产品害虫。

The research will examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of a microorganism that affects reproductive incompatibility in its flour beetle host, Tribolium confusum. Males infected with this particular microorganism cannot produce progeny when mated with females that are not infected. The microorganism is transmitted from mothers to their offspring. If the microorganism is introduced into an uninfected population, in the absence of sufficient negative effects on its host, it is expected to spread through the population. Dr. Stevens will examine how the reproductive incompatibility affects host fitness, sperm utilization, and sperm competition. She will also determine if there is variation in sensitivity of the cytoplasmic factor to curing by high temperature. This research is important to basic scientific research because it will shed light on how interactions among such infective microorganism and their host are important in the process of evolution. The results may also have potential applications in pest management; the flour beetle itself is a major stored products pest.