LTREB: Social, Environmental, and Evolutionary Dynamics of Replicated Hybrid Zones in Swordtails (Teleostei: Xiphophorus) of Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental

LTREB：墨西哥东马德雷山脉剑尾鱼（Teleostei：剑尾鱼）复制混合区的社会、环境和进化动态

• 批准号: 1354172
• 负责人: Gil Rosenthal
• 金额: $ 44.79万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-04-01 至 2020-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1354172&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: LTREB; Social; Environmental; Evolutionary; Dynamics

The study of natural hybridization - the exchange of genetic information between species - is fundamental to further understanding how genes function within organisms and within the environment. Hybrids - crosses between different species - can also be used to identify specific genes associated with traits of interest and how these genes interact with environmental variation, ultimately shedding light on the genetic basis of disease and adaptation to environmental change. This project studies changes in behavioral decisions, communication signals, heat and cold tolerance, and population structure over 10 years in natural and experimental populations of swordtail fish, a longstanding model in genetics, physiology, and behavior. The two parent species are found at high and low elevations, hybrids at intermediate elevations. Experimental populations will seed first-generation hybrids along an elevation gradient. The predicted response at the high elevation site is that genes associated with cold tolerance will spread along with the communication signals and behavioral biases of the high-elevation species, and vice-versa at the low elevation site. The study will identify novel genes involved with decision-making, communication, and temperature tolerance, which may lead to applications in medicine and agriculture. Further, the data will address the extent to which specific, identifiable parts of the genome are responsible for adaptation to various environments. Collection and analysis of data will be accomplished with a structured summer mentorship program between undergraduate students and local K-12 students. Because of the long-term nature of the study, K-12 trainees will have the opportunity to become mentors themselves later in the project.

自然杂交的研究——物种之间遗传信息的交换——对于进一步了解基因如何在生物体和环境中发挥作用至关重要。杂交——不同物种之间的杂交——也可用于识别与感兴趣的性状相关的特定基因，以及这些基因如何与环境变化相互作用，最终揭示疾病的遗传基础和对环境变化的适应。 该项目研究剑尾鱼自然和实验种群十多年来的行为决策、交流信号、耐热和耐寒性以及种群结构的变化，剑尾鱼是遗传学、生理学和行为学的长期模型。 两个亲本种分布于高海拔和低海拔地区，杂交种分布于中海拔地区。 实验群体将沿着海拔梯度播种第一代杂交种。 预计高海拔地区的反应是，与耐寒性相关的基因将随着高海拔物种的通讯信号和行为偏差而传播，而在低海拔地区则反之亦然。该研究将鉴定与决策、交流和温度耐受性相关的新基因，这可能会在医学和农业中得到应用。 此外，这些数据将解决基因组中特定的、可识别的部分在多大程度上负责适应各种环境。数据的收集和分析将通过本科生和当地 K-12 学生之间的结构化夏季指导计划来完成。由于该研究的长期性，K-12 学员将有机会在项目后期自己成为导师。