Evolutionary Genetics of a Sea Urchin Skeletogenic Gene Network

海胆骨骼基因网络的进化遗传学

• 批准号: 0614509
• 负责人: Gregory Wray
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0614509&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Evolutionary; Genetics; Sea; Urchin; Skeletogenic

Evolutionary genetics of a sea urchin skeletogenic gene networkIntellectual merit. Genes interact with each other and with the environment to produce the organismal phenotypes upon which natural selection operates. These GxG and GxE interactions can influence responses to natural selection to a significant degree. This proposal outlines a project to measure the impact of genetic and environmental influences on phenotypic variation within an exceptionally welldefined network of interacting genes. The subject of these analyses is the skeletogenic gene network and resulting larval skeleton of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The impact of genetic and environmental variation will be assayed at different levels of biological organization: molecular phenotypes will be measured as allele-specific transcription and organismal phenotypes will measured through morphometric analyses of anatomy. The Specific Aims are as follows: 1. Measure the genetic basis for network phenotypes. An 8 x 8 cross will be used to estimate genetic contributions to phenotypic variation, to identify genes whose expression contributes the most to phenotypic variation, and to measure the degree to which anatomical variation is buffered from variation in underlying gene expression. 2. Measure gene network-by-environment interactions. Manipulation of food level will be used to characterize the response of the gene network to changes in a key environmental variable, to measure how much genetic variation influences this response, and to identify specific genes that mediate phenotypic plasticity. Together, the results of these analyses will provide detailed information about the origins of complex trait variation across a well defined gene network and its anatomical product in a wild population, and provide insights into how variation in developmental processes affects ecologically relevant organismal phenotypes.Broader impacts. The influence of genetic and environmental factors on phenotypic variation has considerable general importance. This topic is a critical part of understanding evolutionary processes, but also has broad significance for medical and agricultural studies. Integrating an understanding of gene networks and gene expression into such studies represents a challenge, but also an area of significant opportunity. In addition, the proposed research will involve training young scientists in modern laboratory methods and analytical approaches. Training will continue to involve scholars at several levels of education, from high school students to post-doctoral researchers, as during prior funding.

海胆骨骼基因网络的进化遗传学智力价值。基因彼此相互作用并与环境相互作用，产生自然选择起作用的有机体表型。这些 GxG 和 GxE 相互作用可以在很大程度上影响对自然选择的反应。该提案概述了一个项目，旨在测量遗传和环境影响对相互作用基因的明确定义网络内表型变异的影响。这些分析的主题是海胆 Strongylocentrotus purpuratus 的成骨基因网络和由此产生的幼虫骨骼。遗传和环境变异的影响将在生物组织的不同层面进行分析：分子表型将作为等位基因特异性转录进行测量，生物体表型将通过解剖学的形态计量分析进行测量。具体目标如下： 1. 测量网络表型的遗传基础。 8 x 8 杂交将用于估计对表型变异的遗传贡献，识别其表达对表型变异影响最大的基因，并测量解剖变异与潜在基因表达变异的缓冲程度。 2. 测量基因网络与环境的相互作用。食物水平的操纵将用于表征基因网络对关键环境变量变化的反应，测量遗传变异对这种反应的影响程度，并识别介导表型可塑性的特定基因。总之，这些分析的结果将提供有关野生种群中明确的基因网络及其解剖产物中复杂性状变异起源的详细信息，并提供有关发育过程变异如何影响生态相关生物体表型的见解。 更广泛的影响。遗传和环境因素对表型变异的影响具有相当大的普遍重要性。该主题是理解进化过程的关键部分，而且对医学和农业研究也具有广泛的意义。将对基因网络和基因表达的理解纳入此类研究是一项挑战，但也是一个充满机遇的领域。此外，拟议的研究将涉及对年轻科学家进行现代实验室方法和分析方法的培训。与先前资助期间一样，培训将继续涉及从高中生到博士后研究人员等多个教育层次的学者。