Application of Junction Theory to the Analysis of Sunflower Hybrids

生物学最近最令人兴奋的进展之一是能够为几乎任何植物或动物物种绘制详细的基因图谱。这些图谱不仅对分离感兴趣的基因至关重要，而且还可以用于研究种群生物学中的重要问题，例如新物种是如何形成的。然而，地图数据集非常庞大和复杂，目前用于探索它们的理论和分析工具是不够的。这项资助的目的是开发和应用一种新的理论方法，称为“连接方法”，以分析和解释这些复杂的数据集。具体来说，该方法将应用于向日葵属野生向日葵物种杂交的数据集。将要解决的问题包括确定新物种形成所必需的基因变化，并估计这一过程可能发生的速度。虽然这一建议将依赖于为野生向日葵物种生成的制图数据集，但这里开发的分析方法应该广泛适用于任何涉及遗传制图数据的数据集。这些方法可能影响一些理论和实践问题，从了解基因如何与其他基因相互作用到确定将重要农艺基因从野生植物转移到相关栽培物种的最有效策略。

9615335 RIESEBERG One of the most exciting recent advances in biology has been the ability to generate detailed genetic maps for almost any plant or animal species. These maps not only are essential for isolating genes of interest, but they also can be used to study important questions in population biology such as how new species are formed. However, mapping data sets are very large and complex, and the current theoretical and analytical tools for exploring them are inadequate. The purpose of this grant is to develop and apply a new theoretical approach called the "method of junctions" to the analysis and interpretation of these complex data sets. Specifically, this method will be applied to mapping data sets derived from hybrids between wild sunflower species of the genus Helianthus. Problems that will be addressed include determining exactly what genetic changes are necessary for new species to be formed and estimating how rapidly this process might take place. Although this proposal will rely on mapping data sets generated for wild sunflower species, the analytical methods developed here should be broadly applicable to any data set that involves genetic mapping data. Some theoretical and practical issues that these methods may affect range from understanding how genes interact with other genes to determining the most effective strategies for moving genes of agronomic importance from wild plants into related cultivated species.