Floral development, conservation genetics, and horizontal gene transfer in the world's largest flowers, Rafflesiaceae

全寄生植物分支Rafflesiaceae拥有世界上最大的花朵，直径可达1米。进化研究表明，这一神秘的群体来自大戟科，大戟科（Malpighiales），产生微小的花朵。为了增加它们的神秘性，一些Rafflesiaceae基因组已经通过宿主到寄生虫的基因转移从它们的专性葡萄藤宿主获得。该项目的目的是：i）阐明花形态的演变和发展在Rafflesiaceae使用传统的和先进的成像技术结合比较功能基因组数据; ii）实施保护遗传技术，以评估这种宿主-寄生虫共生的遗传多样性;和iii）建立水平基因转移的重要性在Rafflesiaceae使用下一代测序（NGS）技术。该项目的智力价值包括：i）通过使用整合共生发生学，比较发育形态学和功能基因组学的方法，开发新的方法来评估困难群体的形态学突触和同源性; ii）为发展具有高度专业化共生的物种的适当保护管理策略设定新的优先事项;和iii）建立一个范例，用于进行基因组学研究，这将使我们能够评估基因转移的大小和转移位点的功能。该补助金的一个主要外展部分将是与剑桥公立学校合作，将系统发育思维融入其生命科学课程中。

The holoparasitic plant clade Rafflesiaceae possesses the world's largest flowers, which are up to 1 meter in diameter. Evolutionary investigations have indicated that this enigmatic group is derived from within the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae (Malpighiales), which produce minute flowers. To add to their mystery, some of the Rafflesiaceae genome has been acquired from their obligate grapevine hosts by host-to-parasite gene transfer. The aims of this project are to i) elucidate the evolution of floral morphology and development in Rafflesiaceae using traditional and cutting edge imaging technologies combined with comparative functional genomic data; ii) implement conservation genetic techniques to assess genetic diversity in this host-parasite symbiosis; and iii) establish the importance of horizontal gene transfer in Rafflesiaceae using next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. The intellectual merits of this project include: i) develop new methods to assess morphological synapomorphies and homologies in difficult groups via the use of approaches that integrate phylogeny, comparative developmental morphology, and functional genomics; ii) set new priorities for developing proper conservation management strategies of species that exhibit highly specialized symbioses; and iii) establish a paradigm for conducting phylogenomic studies that will allow us to assess both the magnitude of gene transfer and the functions of transferred loci. A major outreach component of this grant will be to partner with Cambridge Public Schools to integrate phylogenetic thinking into their life sciences curriculum.