Genetic and functional analyses of sperm length evolution in Drosophila

果蝇精子长度进化的遗传和功能分析

• 批准号: 1021240
• 负责人: Scott Pitnick
• 金额: $ 28万
• 依托单位: Syracuse University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1021240&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Genetic; functional; analyses; sperm; length

Spermatozoa are the most diverse cell type, exhibiting rapid and dramatic evolutionary changes in form. However, the genetics and adaptive significance of sperm form are poorly understood. Investigations are proposed (1) to examine the relationship between sperm length and motility/behavior within the female reproductive tract, and (2) to identify genes of major influence on sperm length. These studies will be conducted with populations of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster that have been experimentally evolved to have unusually short or long sperm, and several closely related species differing substantially in sperm length. All populations have been genetically engineered to produce sperm whose heads glow green or red under fluorescent light. This material will enable, in the first investigation, unambiguous discrimination among sperm from different males within twice-mated females, as well as direct observation in vivo of real-time sperm motility and sperm-sperm and sperm-female interactions. The second investigation will use breakthrough gene sequencing technology (i.e., restriction-site associated DNA mapping) to identify genes associated with sperm length variation.The proposed research has the potential to generate watershed advances in the fields of reproductive physiology and genetics, sexual selection and speciation. Many undergraduate and graduate students will be trained in the course of this work. Resulting progress in our understanding of sperm behavior within females and the identification of candidate genes contributing to sperm form are also likely to lead to advances in our understanding and treatment of human infertility and in the further development of assisted reproductive technologies used in the preservation of threatened and endangered species.

精子是最多样化的细胞类型，在形态上表现出快速而戏剧性的进化变化。 然而，人们对精子形态的遗传学和适应性意义知之甚少。 建议进行研究（1）检查精子长度与女性生殖道内的活力/行为之间的关系，以及（2）确定对精子长度有主要影响的基因。 这些研究将针对黑腹果蝇种群进行，这些果蝇种群已经通过实验进化出异常短或长的精子，以及几个精子长度差异很大的密切相关物种。所有种群都经过基因工程改造，产生头部在荧光灯下发出绿光或红光的精子。 在第一项研究中，该材料将能够明确区分两次交配的雌性中不同雄性的精子，以及在体内直接观察实时精子活力以及精子与精子和精子与雌性的相互作用。 第二项研究将使用突破性的基因测序技术（即限制性位点相关 DNA 作图）来识别与精子长度变异相关的基因。这项研究有可能在生殖生理学和遗传学、性选择和物种形成。 许多本科生和研究生将在这项工作中接受培训。我们对女性精子行为的理解以及对精子形态有贡献的候选基因的识别所取得的进展也可能导致我们对人类不育症的理解和治疗的进步，以及用于保护受威胁的辅助生殖技术的进一步发展。和濒危物种。