Dissertation Research: The Evolution of Duplicated Genes in Zea mays and Arabidopsis thaliana

这项工作将研究两种植物模式生物：拟南芥和玉米（玉米）中重复基因的分歧。 拟南芥的工作将使用计算工具来检查在拟南芥基因组中发现的271个重复基因对之间的差异。 拟南芥研究的目的是推断基因复制后的多样化过程，并寻找基于序列的基因功能变化的线索。 研究的第二部分使用了一种独特的基于人群的方法来检查重复基因的分歧。 对于该项目的这一部分，DNA序列数据将从几个重复基因对的每个基因的几个个体中产生。 这种以群体为基础的方法将提供更多关于控制基因分化的力量的信息，也可能使人们深入了解几个在农学上重要的基因的功能。基因组学革命已经产生了从细菌到人类的无数生物的全基因组序列。 基因组序列提供了遗传结构的蓝图，但更困难的工作才刚刚开始-即，来推断基因功能和基因起源。 从基因组数据中收集到的一个惊喜是，所有生物体都有很高比例的重复基因。 目前尚不清楚这两个（或更多）重复拷贝是否保留了与祖先基因相同的基因功能，或者相反，它们会分化以履行新的功能角色。 了解基因复制后基因如何分化对于理解基因组进化至关重要，反过来也有助于我们理解生物体之间遗传差异的基础。

0104796GautThis work will study the divergence of duplicated genes in two plant model organisms: Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays (corn). The Arabidopsis work will use computational tools to examine differences among 271 duplicated gene pairs found within the Arabidopsis genome. The purposes of the Arabidopsis study are to infer the processes of diversification after gene duplication and also to search for sequence-based clues for shifts in gene function. The second part of the research uses a unique population-based approach to examine divergence of duplicated genes. For this part of the project, DNA sequence data will be generated from several individuals from each gene of several duplicate gene pairs. This population-based approach will provide additional information about the forces governing gene divergence and may also yield insights into the function of several agronomically important genes.The genomics revolution has produced whole-genome sequences from myriad organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Genomic sequences provide a blueprint of genetic architecture, but the more difficult work is just beginning - i.e., to infer gene function and gene origin. One surprise gleaned from genome data is that all organisms have a very high proportion of duplicated genes. It is not yet clear if the two (or more) duplicate copies retain the same gene function as the ancestral gene or instead diverge to fulfill new functional roles. Knowing how genes diverge after gene duplication is essential for understanding genome evolution and will in turn help us understand the basis of genetic differences among organisms.