The genetics and evolution of sexual antagonism

两性代表着两个非常不同的遗传环境，因为他们所经历的选择压力因生殖角色而不同。这导致了基因与性别特有的健康等位基因的冲突：性拮抗(SA)基因。这降低了两性的适合度，促使人们为解决冲突而进行强有力的选择。SA变异预计在整个基因组中是常见的，并影响一些生物现象，如遗传变异的维持、基因表达甚至人类健康结果。过去对SA分辨率和进化的研究一直受到限制，因为所描述的SA基因座数量很少。最近的工作提供了黑腹果蝇推测的SA基因座的第一份清单。该项目将这些基因座作为候选基因，首先验证它们的SA表型效应，然后调查SA变异是如何保持的。首先，CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑将实施微小的基因改变，并测试它们的效果。然后，将通过与其他物种的比较和野生黑腹果蝇种群的基因组分析来探讨SA遗传变异的维持。这项工作将提供验证SA基因座的全貌，它们的表型影响，以及它们的进化历史，既跨越不同的选择压力，也跨越系统发育时间。

The sexes represent two very different genetic environments as the selective pressures they experience are different due to reproductive roles. This leads to conflict in the form of genes with sex-specific fitness alleles: sexually antagonistic (SA) genes. This lowers fitness in both sexes, instigating strong selection for the resolution of conflict. SA variation is predicted to be common across the genome and to influence several biological phenomena e.g. maintenance of genetic variation, gene expression and even human health outcomes. Past research into SA resolution and evolution has been limited because of the small number of described SA loci. Recent work provides the first list of putative SA loci in Drosophila melanogaster. This project takes these loci as candidates to first validate their SA phenotypic effects and then investigate how SA variation has been maintained. First, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing will enact small genetic alterations and test their effect. Then, the maintenance of SA genetic variation will be probed by comparisons within other Drososphila species and by population genomic analyses of wild D. melanogaster populations. This work will provide a full picture of validated SA loci, their phenotypic affect, and their evolutionary history, both across different selective pressures and phylogenetic time.