CAREER: Molecular Analysis of Avian Breeding Ecology: A Research and Education Program in Molecular Ecology

摘要：韦伯斯特提案编号：9629422最近，分子遗传学技术在生态学研究中的应用取得了重要的见解和一些令人惊讶的结果。一个例子是最近将DNA图谱分析应用于鸟类交配系统的研究，这表明许多幼鸟是由不同于其社会父亲(即在巢中照看的雄性)的雄性繁殖的。这种额外的配对受精对行为生态学中许多模型的基本假设提出了质疑，即交配对之间的生殖保真度。尽管有几项研究讨论了雌性与额外配对的雄性交配可能获得的选择性好处，但相对较少的研究考察了导致一些雌性参与这种交配的生态条件，而不是其他雌性。这里提出的职业发展计划的核心是一个为期四年的研究项目，旨在研究一种社会性一夫一妻制的雀鸟--黑喉蓝莺--额外配对交配的生态学基础。本研究项目的主要目的是区分四种解释女性生殖策略的假说。这一目标将通过使用分子遗传技术，结合对被标记个体的观察和试验田操作来实现，以检查被认为影响女性行为的生态和社会因素。多位点DNA图谱和SSR基因座的PCR扩增将用于鉴定额外配对雄性及其父本的年轻父本，并将使用试验田操作来测试地域质量、雄性遗传质量、雌性定居、雄性行为和额外配对受精之间的关联。此外，这些数据还将被用来实现两个次要目标：(1)将检验额外配对交配对该种群中雌性的选择性益处；(2)将确定额外配对父本以确定真正的繁殖成功。因此，这项研究将更好地理解额外配对交配的生态原因和后果，以及更好地理解社会一夫一妻制物种中的性选择是如何运作的。尽管分子生物学技术已经彻底改变了生物学中的几乎每一门学科，但它们直到最近才被应用于生态学研究。这份职业发展计划提出了一项分子遗传学教育计划，以满足研究生和本科生培养的这一需求。该教育计划包括：(1)外来遗传学讲座课程，(2)该学科的实验室课程，(3)分子生态学期刊俱乐部，(4)对进行分子生态学研究的学生的直接监督。这一教育计划将与拟议的研究计划紧密结合。

ABSTRACT PI: Webster PROPOSAL NUMBER: 9629422 The recent application of molecular genetic techniques to ecological studies has yielded important insights and some surprising results. One example is the recent application of DNA profiling analyses to studies of avian mating systems, that have shown that many young are sired by males other than their social father (i.e., the male in attendance at the nest). Such extra- pair fertilizations call into question a basic assumption of many models in behavioral ecology; i.e., reproductive fidelity between mated pairs. Although several studies have addressed the selective benefits that females might receive by copulating with extra-pair males, relatively few have examined the ecological conditions that lead some females, but not others, to engage in such copulations. At the core of the career development plan proposed here is a four-year research project designed to examine the ecological basis of extra-pair copulations in a socially monogamous passerine, the black-throated blue warbler. The primary objective of this research project is to discriminate among four hypotheses to explain female reproductive strategies. This objective will be achieved by using molecular genetic techniques, in combination with observations of marked individuals and experimental field manipulations, to examine the ecological and social factors thought to affect female behavior. Multilocus DNA profiling and PCR-amplification of SSR loci will be used to identify young sired by extra-pair males and their sires, and experimental field manipulations will be used to test for associations among territory quality, male genetic quality, female settlement, male behaviors and extra-pair fertilizations. In addition, these data will also be used to achieve two secondary objectives: (1) the selectiv e benefits of extra-pair copulations to females in this population will be examined and (2) extra-pair sires will be identified to determine true reproductive success. Thus, this study will yield a better understanding of the ecological causes and consequences of extra- pair copulations, as well as a better understanding of how sexual selection operates in socially monogamous species. Although molecular biology techniques have revolutionized almost every discipline in biology, only recent have they been applied to ecological research. This career development plan proposes an education program in molecular exology that will meet this need in the training of graduate and undergraduate students. The education program consists of: (1) a lecture course in exological genetics, (2) a lab course in this subject, (3) a molecular ecology journal club, (4) direct supervision of students conducting research in molecular ecology. This education program will be closely integrated with the proposed research program.