CAREER: The Genetics of Species Differences: Drosophila Courtship Signals and their Preferences

职业：物种差异的遗传学：果蝇的求偶信号和它们的偏好。来源：Jennifer M. gleason物种形成对地球上生命的多样性负责。物种形成的过程需要生殖隔离的进化。一种类型的生殖隔离是由交配行为的差异引起的性隔离。拟果蝇（Drosophila simulans）和D. sechellia这两种被研究的果蝇在求偶的两个方面有所不同。第一个要素，求偶之歌，是雄性发出来刺激雌性的。雌性更喜欢自己物种的歌声，只有在听到不同物种的歌声时才会不情愿地交配。第二个元素是接触信息素。雪莲雌虫的主要信息素与拟花雌虫不同。由于信息素的差异，拟南花雄性会对雌性产生歧视。该项目对这些性状进行了两种遗传分析。首先，定量遗传学将用于估计所涉及的基因数量、它们在基因组中的位置以及它们的个体影响。这些将被用于研究求偶元素（歌声和信息素）以及异性对这些特征表现出的偏好。其次，与求偶性状有关的基因组区域将从一个物种引入到另一个物种，与所有其他基因区域隔绝。这些基因分析将被用来确定在物种之间有调控变化的基因。教学活动将侧重于改进现有的进化和遗传学课程，并开发新的物种形成和行为遗传学课程。这个项目的智力价值在于阐明了物种差异的遗传学，它有助于物种形成，这是一个尚未被很好地理解的话题。这个项目更广泛的影响包括为学生提供教育机会，他们将接受行为和遗传方法方面的跨学科培训。此外，了解果蝇这一模式系统的行为，为更复杂的物种和害虫物种的行为分析提供了见解。

CAREER: The genetics of species differences: Drosophila courtship signals and their preferencesPI: Jennifer M. GleasonSpeciation is responsible for the diversity of life on earth. The process of speciation requires the evolution of reproductive isolation. One type of reproductive isolation is sexual isolation derived from differences in mating behaviors. The fruit fly species to be studied, Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia, differ in two elements of courtship. The first element, courtship song, is produced by the male to stimulate the female. Females prefer the song of their own species and only reluctantly mate in the presence of a different species' song. The second element is a contact pheromone. D. sechellia females have a different major pheromone than D. simulans females. D. simulans males discriminate against D. sechellia females because of this pheromone difference.The project uses two genetic analyses of these traits. First, quantitative genetics will be used to estimate the number of genes involved, their location in the genome and their individual effects. These will be studied for both courtship elements (song and pheromones) and for the preferences exhibited by the opposite sex for these traits. Second, regions of the genome genetically implicated in the courtship traits will be introduced from one species to the other, in isolation of all other gene regions. These genetic analyses will be performed to identify the genes that have had a regulatory change between the species.Teaching activities will focus on improving existing courses on evolution and genetics and developing new courses on speciation and behavioral genetics. The intellectual merit of this project is to elucidate the genetics of species differences that can contribute to speciation, a topic that is not well understood. The broader impacts of this project include educational opportunities for students who will receive interdisciplinary training in behavioral and genetic methods. In addition, understanding behavior in Drosophila, a model system, provides insights into the behavioral analysis of both more complex species and pest species.