Sequencing genetic diversity in host and parasite genes using the ultra-high throughput 454 GS-Flex platform

寄主和寄生虫被认为处于持续的军备竞赛中，因为每个物种都试图适应对方；寄生虫试图感染宿主，而宿主试图抵抗感染。这场军备竞赛已经上演了数百万年，进化生物学中的一个长期预测是，宿主和寄生虫中最直接参与相互作用的基因将显示出物种内高度的遗传多样性，以及物种之间的遗传差异。我们现在可以验证这一预测了。部分原因是我们现在对哪些基因特别涉及宿主与寄生虫的相互作用有了更好的了解。部分原因是一种新技术的出现，可以同时对数千个基因进行测序。我们将在这里做的是将微阵列结果与这些基因的遗传多样性联系起来，微阵列结果分析了数千个基因对宿主和寄生虫的感染做出反应的表达。我们的假设是，宿主中对感染做出反应的基因和寄生虫中对宿主免疫做出反应的基因将显示出最高水平的多态，以及物种之间最大的差异。我们还可以通过根据基因的功能或基因表达模式对基因进行分组来进一步研究这种影响。这项提案将提供额外的测序成本，以补充由NERC资助的现有财团，该财团正在解决红松鸡、Soay绵羊和实验室老鼠的线虫感染问题。因此，它提供了极好的金钱价值，因为它建立在现有的资源和人力基础上。

Hosts and parasites are believed to be in a continual arms race as each species tries to adapt to the other; parasites try to infect hosts while hosts try to resist being infected. This arms race has been played out for millions of years and there is a long-standing prediction in evolutionary biology that those genes in hosts and parasites most directly involved in the interaction will show high levels of genetic diversity within a species, and genetic divergence between species. We are now in a position to test this prediction. Partly because we now have a much better understanding of which genes are particularly involved in host-parasite interactions. Partly because a new technology has emerged to sequence thousands of genes simultaneously. What we will do here is to link microarray results, which assay the expression of thousands of genes responding to infection in both hosts and parasites, to the genetic diversity in these genes. Our hypothesis is that the genes in hosts responding to infection, and the genes in parasites responding to host immunity, will show the highest level of polymorphism, and the highest divergence between species. We can also investigate such effects further by grouping genes according to their function or pattern of gene expression. This proposal will provide additional sequencing costs to supplement an existing consortium, funded by NERC, which is addressing these questions in nematode infections of red grouse, Soay sheep and laboratory rats. As such it provides excellent value for money since it builds on existing ressults and manpower.