The role of ancient supergenes and genomic structural variation in contemporary intra-specific biodiversity

了解野生种群中基于个体的遗传差异对于我们理解生物多样性、物种如何形成和成功的资源管理至关重要。基因组结构变异代表个体间遗传变异的最大来源，并被定义为拷贝数、方向或染色体位置不同的基因组区域。 染色体重排可以捕获一组共适应的等位基因，提供防止重组的保护，并且是促进复杂表型形成的模块化常设变异的来源。我的研究计划的首要主题是研究染色体结构变异在适应性多样性中的作用，广泛分布，往往是高基因流的水生物种。正在研究的假设是，在水生物种的特点是高扩散潜力的适应性差异通常与现有的，往往是古老的染色体结构变异，保护西装的共同适应等位基因重组提供了一个来源，现有的模块化的常设变异。 确定列入物种的选择，以代表广泛的扩散潜力和水平的基因流，因此，本计划的长期目标是评估结构变异，生活史之间的关联，因为它涉及到扩散潜力和基因流，并形成复杂的表型。 具体而言，主要目标是：1）评估和开发用于检测和分析结构变异的生物信息学和统计学解决方案; 2）识别不同海洋类群基因组中的结构变异并探索其遗传学; 3）探索染色体结构变异与环境，生活史变异和全基因组基因表达之间的关联。 这些类群之间的比较将允许检查基因流，选择和结构变异之间的相互作用，在复杂的表型的形成。 这项工作的潜在理论和应用成果包括更好地了解染色体重排如何调节海洋物种的选择，漂移和基因流之间的相互作用，以及确定表型连锁变异或keystone超基因，这可能为整合到现有的管理和评估模式提供前所未有的机会。

Understanding individual-based genetic differences within wild populations is central to our understanding of biodiversity, how species form, and successful resource management. Genomic structural variation represents the largest source of inter-individual genetic variation and is defined as genomic regions that differ in copy number, orientation, or chromosomal location.  Chromosomal rearrangements can capture suites of co-adapted alleles providing protection from recombination, and a source of modular standing variation facilitating the formation of complex phenotypes. The overarching theme of my research program is to examine the role of chromosomal structural variation in adaptive diversity within widely distributed and often high gene flow aquatic species. The hypothesis being examined is that adaptive differences in aquatic species that are characterized by high dispersal potential are commonly associated with existing and often ancient chromosomal structural variants that protect suits of co-adapted alleles from recombination providing a source of existing modular standing variation.  Species identified for inclusion were chosen to represent a wide range of dispersal potential and levels of gene flow, and as such, a long-term goal of this program is to evaluate the association between structure variation, life history as it relates to dispersal potential and gene flow, and the formation of complex phenotypes.   Specifically, the main objectives are to: 1) evaluate and develop bioinformatic and statistical solutions for detecting, and analyzing structural variation; 2) identify structural variants across the genomes of a diverse suite of marine taxa and explore their phylogenies; 3) explore associations among chromosomal structural variation and environmental, life history variation, and genome wide gene expression.   Comparisons across these taxa will allow an examination of the interplay between gene flow, selection, and structural variation in the formation of complex phenotypes.  Potential theoretical and applied outcomes of this work include an improved understanding of how chromosomal re-arrangements may modulate the interplay between selection, drift, and gene flow in marine species, and the identification of phenotypically linked variants or keystone supergenes which may provide unprecedented opportunity for integration into existing management and assessment paradigms.