Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genetic and evolutionary determinants of the immune response in wild primates

病毒和细菌被认为在塑造灵长类动物进化中发挥了重要作用，但关于病原体如何改变灵长类动物基因组和影响性状多样性的问题仍然存在。我们可以了解更多关于在灵长类进化中最重要的病原体类型，为应对这些威胁而出现的遗传变异类型，以及免疫基因中的遗传变异是否会影响目前与健康相关的性状。这个博士论文项目研究野生灵长类系统中参与免疫防御的基因的调控，重点是人口统计学，行为和生理数据也可获得的深入研究的人群。该博士生研究了自然选择如何塑造过去对病原体的基因表达反应，并研究了免疫相关基因表达变异，优势等级和其他生理特征之间的关联。该项目通过博物馆和会议活动支持学生导师和培训机会，国际研究合作以及公共科学参与。研究人员测量了160只单独识别的成年狒狒在存在或不存在模拟细菌或病毒感染的刺激物的情况下的全基因组基因表达。免疫反应的差异检查狒狒之间的遗传差异的联系，控制年龄，统治地位，亲属关系，以及其他因素，也影响免疫功能。将这些发现与来自同一狒狒种群的基因组序列相结合，该项目调查了是否有基因参与对细菌的免疫反应，或病毒一直是历史上或最近选择的目标，并测试影响免疫反应的遗传变异是否也影响对当前生理健康和健身重要的性状。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得的。通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。

Viruses and bacteria are thought to have played an important role in shaping primate evolution, but many open questions remain about how pathogens have acted to change primate genomes and influence trait diversity. More can be learned about the types of pathogens that have been most important in primate evolution, the types of genetic variants that have arisen to deal with these threats, and whether genetic variation in immune genes influences fitness-related traits in the present. This doctoral dissertation project studies the regulation of genes involved in immune defense in a wild primate system, focusing on an intensively studied population for which demographic, behavioral, and physiological data are also available. The doctoral student investigates how natural selection has shaped the gene expression response to pathogens in the past, and examines associations between immune-related gene expression variation, dominance rank, and other physiological characteristics. The project supports student mentorship and training opportunities, international research collaborations, and public science engagement through museum and conference events. The investigator measures genome-wide gene expression in either the presence or absence of stimuli that model bacterial or viral infection, for 160 individually recognized adult baboons. Differences in immune responses are examined for linkages to genetic differences between baboons, controlling for age, dominance rank, kinship, and other factors that also influence immune function. Integrating these findings with genome sequences from the same baboon population, the project investigates whether genes involved in the immune response to bacteria and/or viruses have been the target of historic or recent selection and tests whether genetic variation that influences the immune response also affects traits that are important to current physiological wellbeing and fitness.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.