A Molecular Genetic Investigation of Paternal Genes and Female Fitness

[9603735] Zeh分子生物学的发现提供了越来越多的证据，证明物种的基因组是动态的实体，不断进化，至少部分是由于细胞核和细胞质内部和之间的遗传冲突。自私的遗传因子，如细胞内共生因子、转座因子、分离扭曲等位基因、母体效应致死等位基因，以及基因组印记基因的超可用性（“垃圾”）DNA和不平衡，都可以通过使母体和父亲基因型的某些组合在发育中的胚胎中不相容而破坏雌性的适应性。Cordylochernes scorpioides的单位点小卫星DNA探针的发展，以及类似哺乳动物的胎生生殖生物学，高度适合实验，涉及大量后代的生产，使该物种成为研究父亲基因型对雌性适应性影响的模型系统。通过一项包括行为分析、育种实验和DNA分析的研究项目，本研究将验证一个假设，即女性生殖道内细胞和分子的相互作用可以为女性提供一种机制，使基因不相容的精子受精的风险和/或成本降到最低。这种遗传不相容假说将与先前提出的几个解释父亲基因型如何影响女性繁殖成功的假说进行检验，即交换假说、近亲繁殖避免假说和内在男性质量假说。

9603735 Zeh Discoveries in molecular biology are providing growing evidence that the genomes of species are dynamic entities, constantly evolving, at least in part, as a result of genetic conflicts within and between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Selfish genetic elements, such as cellular endosymbionts, transposable elements, segregation distorter alleles, maternal effect lethal alleles, as well as hyperavailable ("junk") DNA and imbalances in genomically- imprinted genes, can all undermine female fitness by rendering certain combinations of maternal and paternal genotypes incompatible within the developing embryo. The development of single-locus minisatellite DNA probes for the pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, in combination with a mammalian-like viviparous reproductive biology highly amenable to experimentation and involving the production of large numbers of offspring, makes this species a model system for investigating the effects of paternal genotypes on female fitness. Through a research program involving behavioral analyses, breeding experiments and DNA profiling, this study will test the hypothesis that cellular and molecular interactions within the female reproductive tract can provide females with mechanisms for minimizing the risk and/or cost of fertilization by genetically- incompatible sperm. This genetic incompatibility hypothesis will be tested against several previously proposed hypotheses to explain how paternal genotypes can influence female reproductive success, namely the trading-up hypothesis, the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis and the intrinsic male quality hypothesis.