Characterising the genetic architecture and fitness effects of rapid morphological diversification.

表征快速形态多样化的遗传结构和适应度效应。

• 批准号: NE/M001040/1
• 负责人: Alistair McGregor
• 金额: $ 39.57万
• 依托单位: Oxford Brookes University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FM001040%2F1
• 关键词: Characterising; genetic; architecture; fitness; effects

Explaining the diversity of life on earth has long been a goal of biology. However we understand very little about the changes in the genome that underlie variation in the way cells read, interpret and execute the instructions coded in that genome, and how such changes interact in order to produce an organism with a modified shape or size. There is also a paucity of knowledge about whether the genetic changes that affect a given trait also cause in differences in other traits, and even less about their effect on reproductive success. Male sexual characters are often among the first traits to diverge between closely related species. Characterising the genes involved, their interactions, the evolutionary forces involved and fitness consequences of this rapid evolution offers a great opportunity to understand the processes of animal diversification, reproductive isolation and the evolution of new species.Among Drosophila species, males exhibit striking differences in genitalia morphology. The posterior lobes and claspers, in particular, differ in size, shape and bristle number between species. Moreover these structures are important for proper attachment of the male to the female during mating. Despite previous mapping studies, none of the genes involved have been identified, which is required to characterise how the underling genetic changes interact, if they also cause differences in other traits, and their effect on reproductive success. Therefore, in this proposal, we aim to identify the genes underlying variation in the morphology of the clasper and posterior lobe between D. mauritiana and D. simulans. Our preliminary results have already identified several small genomic regions responsible for a large proportion of the variation in posterior lobe and clasper. Here we propose to investigate the role of candidate genes found in those regions of the genome during clasper and posterior lobe development in the model D. melanogaster, and then verify their direct role in the evolution of variation in these structures between D. mauritiana and D. simulans.Once we have identified the genes responsible for the differences in genital morphology, we will survey natural variation by sequencing those genes in several strains of each species and test if these sequences have evolved under directional selection or just by chance.Interaction between genes can either facilitate or delay the evolution of a given trait, Therefore, we will test how the D. mauritiana and D. simulans alleles interact with other genomic regions underlying variation in the clasper and posterior lobe to evaluate the contribution of additive and/or non-additive (epistatic) genetic interactions to the divergence of these two traits. Furthermore we will test if the causative genes affect gene expression or morphology, at other stages of development and in other tissues (pleiotropic effects), to evaluate these changes in the wider context of animals development and how this evolves. Finally we will test if the changes in posterior lobe and clasper morphology affect reproductive success.Our work will serve as platform for further research to test the generality our findings on genital evolution and broaden our knowledge of how the genetic mechanisms underlying developmental programs integrate genotypic information to specify the phenotype and help explain how the vast organismal diversity in the natural world has evolved. Moreover, our study of male genitalia diversity may also help to address questions regarding the genetic architecture of quantitative traits including the role of epistasis and any pleiotropic effects. Given both the prominence of studies relating genes to appearance and behaviour and our general fascination with animal diversity, research such as ours offers an opportunity to not only appreciate this diversity, but explain the genetic nuts and bolts that have shaped it.

长期以来，解释地球上的生命多样性一直是生物学的目标。但是，我们对细胞读取，解释和执行该基因组中编码的指令的方式的基因组的变化几乎没有理解，以及如何相互作用以产生具有改良形状或大小的有机体。关于影响给定特征的遗传变化是否还会导致其他特征的差异，甚至不太了解它们对生殖成功的影响，也存在很少的知识。男性性特征通常是在密切相关的物种之间发散的最初特征之一。表征所涉及的基因，相互作用，所涉及的进化力以及这种快速进化的适应性后果为了解动物多样化的过程，生殖隔离和新物种的进化提供了一个很好的机会。雄性果蝇物种，男性在生殖器形态学上表现出惊人的差异。尤其是物种之间的大小，形状和刚毛数不同，后叶和扣子的大小有所不同。此外，这些结构对于在交配过程中适当地依附到女性很重要。尽管以前的映射研究，但尚未确定涉及的基因，这是表征底层遗传变化如何相互作用所必需的，如果它们也引起其他特征的差异，以及它们对生殖成功的影响。因此，在此提案中，我们旨在确定D. Mauritiana和D. simulans之间悬崖和后叶形态的基因。我们的初步结果已经确定了几个小型基因组区域，负责后叶和clasper的大部分变化。在这里，我们建议研究模型D. Melanogaster中的clasper和loe后叶的发展中发现的候选基因的作用，然后验证它们在D. Mauritiana和D. Mauritiana和D. simulans之间这些结构变异演变中的直接作用。一旦我们鉴定了这些基因在这些基因上的差异，我们将在这些基因上进行测试，我们将在这些基因上进行差异，我们将这些基因的差异进行了测试，我们将在生殖变化的差异中进行了差异，我们将在生殖变化中进行差异，从而在生殖变化中进行了差异。 sequences have evolved under directional selection or just by chance.Interaction between genes can either facilitate or delay the evolution of a given trait, Therefore, we will test how the D. mauritiana and D. simulans alleles interact with other genomic regions underlying variation in the clasper and posterior lobe to evaluate the contribution of additive and/or non-additive (epistatic) genetic interactions to the divergence of these two特质。此外，我们将测试因果基因在发育的其他阶段和其他组织（多效效应）中是否影响基因表达或形态，以评估动物发育的更广泛背景以及这种变化。最后，我们将测试是否会影响生殖成功。我们的工作将作为进一步研究的平台，以测试我们对生殖器进化的发现的通用性，并扩大我们对在开发计划中的遗传机制如何整合基因型信息的知识，以整合基因型信息，以指定和帮助广阔的生物体多样性地说明了自然世界中的自然界。此外，我们对男性生殖器多样性的研究还可能有助于解决有关定量特征的遗传结构的问题，包括上静脉的作用和任何多效性作用。考虑到将基因与外观和行为有关的研究的突出性以及我们对动物多样性的普遍迷恋，我们的研究提供了一个机会，不仅可以欣赏这种多样性，而且可以解释塑造了它的遗传坚果和螺栓。

项目成果

Sox21b underlies the rapid diversification of a novel male genital structure between Drosophila species

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.022
• 发表时间: 2024-03-11
• 期刊: CURRENT BIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 9.2
• 作者: Ridgway，Amber M.;Hood，Emily J.;Mcgregor，Alistair P.
• 通讯作者: Mcgregor，Alistair P.

Unraveling the Genetic Basis for the Rapid Diversification of Male Genitalia between Drosophila Species.

• DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa232
• 发表时间: 2021-01-23
• 期刊: Molecular biology and evolution
• 影响因子: 10.7
• 作者: Hagen JFD;Mendes CC;Booth SR;Figueras Jimenez J;Tanaka KM;Franke FA;Baudouin-Gonzalez L;Ridgway AM;Arif S;Nunes MDS;McGregor AP
• 通讯作者: McGregor AP

Unravelling the genetic basis for the rapid diversification of male genitalia between Drosophila species

揭示果蝇物种之间雄性生殖器快速多样化的遗传基础

• DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.19.161018
• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: Hagen J

Genetic architecture and functional characterization of genes underlying the rapid diversification of male external genitalia between Drosophila simulans and Drosophila mauritiana.

• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.114.174045
• 发表时间: 2015-05
• 期刊: Genetics
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Tanaka KM;Hopfen C;Herbert MR;Schlötterer C;Stern DL;Masly JP;McGregor AP;Nunes MD
• 通讯作者: Nunes MD

tartan underlies the evolution of male Drosophila genital morphology

格子呢是雄性果蝇生殖器形态进化的基础

• DOI: 10.1101/462259
• 发表时间: 2018
• 作者: Hagen J