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.

许多复杂的性状（由多个基因控制的性状）经常受到环境的影响，这种现象称为表型可塑性。在许多情况下，基因和环境（即“先天”和“后天”）的相对重要性尚不清楚。此外，物种、种群和个体对各种环境因素的敏感性往往不同。理论工作表明，这种可塑性的遗传变异应该对复杂环境中复杂性状的进化产生深远的影响。然而，人们对可塑性的适应性价值和可塑性反应背后的基因知之甚少，这很大程度上是由于缺乏对该主题的实证研究。该项目将测量芥子油苷可塑性的自然选择，芥子油苷是野生草本植物中针对食草昆虫的重要化学防御剂。将在四个自然栖息地和温室中的各种受控条件下种植的多个谱系中测量芥子油苷和繁殖适应性。然后，PI 将绘制包含影响芥子油苷含量对各种环境刺激的反应的基因的基因组区域。“先天与后天”？争论不仅是进化遗传学领域的基础，而且与农业、医学和生物多样性保护等应用领域的当前研究直接相关。部分可塑性复杂性状的例子包括作物害虫抗性、人类对癌症等疾病的易感性以及野生动物的健康和行为。随着自然界适应快速变化的气候，了解可塑性的遗传结构和进化意义将变得尤为重要。将进行学生培训。