Molecular evolutionary genetics of bivalve mitochondrial DNA

我研究了双壳类软体动物线粒体DNA遗传的一个不寻常的系统。与其他动物不同，一些双壳类动物拥有两种不同的与性别相关的mtDNA谱系，而不是在大多数动物中发现的单一的、雌性传播的mtDNA谱系。我感兴趣的是测试各种假说，这些假说被提出来解释线粒体DNA遗传这种不寻常系统的起源和维持，包括它是否允许自然选择来提高这些贻贝的精子性能，或者这些性别相关的基因组是否可能在性别决定中发挥作用。在海洋贻贝中发现的独特的雄性和雌性传播的mtDNA基因组也经历了重组，这种现象直到最近才被认为发生在动物mtDNA基因组中。我研究这种不寻常的线粒体DNA遗传系统的方法包括精子活力分析、精子代谢活动分析和全线粒体基因组测序分析的组合。

I study an unusual system of mitochondrial DNA inheritance present in bivalve mollusks. Unlike other animals, some bivalves possess two distinct gender-associated mtDNA lineages rather than just a single, female transmitted mtDNA lineage found in most animals. I am interested in testing various hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the origin and maintenance of this unusual system of mitochondrial DNA inheritance including whether it allows for natural selection to improve sperm performance in these mussels or whether these gender-associated genomes might play a role in sex determination. The distinct male and female transmitted mtDNA genomes found in marine mussels also undergo recombination, a phenomenon that was, until recently, not thought to occur in animal mtDNA genomes. My approach to studying this unusual system of mitochondrial DNA inheritance includes a combination of sperm motility analyses, sperm metabolic activity assays, and whole mitochondrial genome sequencing assays.