Rapid adaptive change through high recombination rates in eusocial insects

结构变异（缺失、插入、重复、倒位、易位）是个体间遗传变异的最大来源。它们经常出现，通常在单个突变事件中，例如在非等位基因同源重组期间。社会性膜翅目昆虫的重组率是迄今为止所研究的所有动物中最高的，这表明在这些物种的种群中结构变异可能特别丰富。由于群居昆虫的有效种群规模较小，结构变异可以迅速固定下来。先前对侵袭性隐心髁突蚂蚁的研究表明，在孤立种群之间存在多种结构变异（Schrader et al. 2014），这可能导致了局部适应表型的出现，如农药抗性和与筑巢者识别相关的攻击行为的变化。本研究将结合生物分析、连锁图谱、群体基因组学和分子分析等手段，对膜翅目蜜蜂进行野外和实验室研究，探讨高重组率和结构遗传变异在入侵社会性膜翅目昆虫快速适应中的作用。

Structural variants (deletions, insertions, duplications, inversions, translocations) are the largest source of inter-individual genetic variation. They arise frequently, often in a single mutagenic event, for example during non-allelic homologous recombination. Social Hymenoptera have the highest recombination rates of all so far studied animals, suggesting that structural variation might be particularly abundant in populations of these species. Due to small effective population sizes of social insects, structural variants can become fixed rapidly. Previous work on the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior has shown a variety of structural variants between isolated populations (Schrader et al. 2014), likely contributing to the emergence of locally adapted phenotypes such as pesticide resistance and changes in aggressive behavior related to nestmate recognition. By studying populations of C. obscurior in the field and laboratory combining bio assays, linkage mapping, population genomics, and molecular tools, we will explore the role of very high recombination rates and structural genetic variation in rapid adaption of invasive social Hymenoptera.