DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Genetic Architecture and Evolution of Phenotypic Plasticity for Chemical Defenses in a Wild Plant

论文研究：野生植物化学防御表型可塑性的遗传结构和进化

• 批准号: 1311440
• 负责人: Thomas Mitchell-Olds
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-01 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1311440&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Genetic; Architecture; Evolution

Many complex traits?those controlled by multiple genes?are often influenced by the environment, a phenomenon called phenotypic plasticity. In many cases, the relative importance of genes and environment (i.e., ?nature? and ?nurture?) is unclear. Furthermore, species, populations, and individuals often differ in their sensitivity to various environmental cues. Theoretical work has shown that such genetic variation for plasticity should have profound implications for the evolution of complex traits in complex environments. However, both the adaptive value of plasticity and the genes underlying plastic responses are poorly understood, largely due to a lack of empirical research on the subject. This project will measure natural selection on plasticity of glucosinolates, an important chemical defense against insect herbivores, in a wild herb. Glucosinolates and reproductive fitness will be measured in multiple lineages planted in four natural habitats and a variety of controlled conditions in the greenhouse. The PIs will then map genomic regions containing genes that affect the response of glucosinolate content to various environmental stimuli.The ?nature vs. nurture? debate is not only fundamental to the field of evolutionary genetics, but also directly relevant to current research in applied fields such as agriculture, medicine, and biodiversity conservation. Examples of partially plastic complex traits include crop pest resistance, human susceptibility to diseases such as cancer, and wildlife health and behavior. Understanding the genetic architecture and the evolutionary significance of plasticity will be especially important as the natural world adapts to a rapidly changing climate. Training of students will occur.

许多复杂的特征？由多个基因控制的特征通常受环境影响，这种现象称为表型可塑性。在许多情况下，尚不清楚基因和环境的相对重要性（即？自然？养育？）。此外，物种，人群和个体对各种环境提示的敏感性常常有所不同。理论工作表明，这种可塑性的这种遗传变异应该对复杂环境中复杂性状的演变具有深远的影响。但是，可塑性的适应性值和塑性反应的基因都尚未理解，这在很大程度上是由于缺乏对该受试者的经验研究。该项目将在野生草药中衡量葡萄糖苷酸的可塑性的自然选择，这是针对昆虫食草动物的重要化学防御。将在四个自然栖息地种植的多个谱系和温室中的多种受控条件中测量葡萄糖素和生殖健身。然后，PI将绘制包含影响葡萄糖苷含量对各种环境刺激反应的基因的基因组区域。自然与养育？辩论不仅是进化遗传学领域的基础，而且还与当前在农业，医学和生物多样性保护等应用领域的研究直接相关。部分塑料复杂性状的例子包括抗作物有害生物，对癌症等疾病的易感性以及野生动植物的健康和行为。随着自然世界适应迅速变化的气候，了解遗传结构和可塑性的进化意义将特别重要。将对学生进行培训。