Dissertation Research: Experimental Molecular Evolution in Bacteriophage

本实验研究探讨了重组DNA噬菌体的分子进化。构建重组噬菌体是为了专门解决分子进化中两个感兴趣的主题：1)必需转基因（噬菌体衣壳和组装基因）的分子进化和2)RNA聚合酶启动子相互作用的进化。转基因噬菌体将在分子水平上通过序列分析和在表型水平上通过适应度水平进行表征。转基因噬菌体的适应度起初很低，但经过实验室自然选择，通过连续繁殖，适应度迅速提高。在观察到对增加适应性的选择的反应后，噬菌体将在分子和表型水平上重新表征。最初的基因操作将导致对哪些基因元素应该进化以及它们在进化过程中如何变化的具体期望。这种噬菌体实验分子进化系统是进化生物学中一种强有力的新方法。转基因生物在生物学和工业的许多领域越来越受欢迎。这个项目将首次直接解决转基因如何进化的问题，它们对其他基因的影响，以及这些组合的分子变化如何影响有机体水平上的适应性进化。

9411950 Bull This experimental study examines molecular evolution in recombinant DNA phages. The recombinant phage are constructed to specifically address two topics of interest in molecular evolution: 1) the molecular evolution of essential transgenes (phage capsid and assembly genes) and 2) the evolution of RNA polymerase-promoter interactions. Transgenic phage will be characterized at the molecular level via sequence analysis and at the phenotypic level via fitness levels. The fitness of transgenic phage is initially low, but increases rapidly when subjected to laboratory natural selections via serial propagation. After a response to selection for increased fitness is observed, the phage will be re- characterized at the molecular and phenotypic levels. Initial genetic manipulations will lead to specific expectations as to which genetic elements should evolve and how they will change over the course of evolution. This system of experimental molecular evolution in bacteriophage is a powerful new approach in evolutionary biology. Transgenic organisms have become increasingly popular in many areas of biology and industry. This project will for the first time directly address questions concerning how transgenes evolve, what their effects are on other genes, and how these combined molecular changes affect evolution of fitness at the organismal level.