CAREER: The genes and gene networks underlying fertilization barriers in a hybrid zone

University Of Denver, Denver CO

Investigators

Abstract

Reproduction requires complex interactions between males and females and, even after mating, gametes, reproductive tracts and their secretions coordinate for successful fertilization. Despite their fundamental role in reproduction, postmating traits are often dramatically different between closely related species and can prevent species from successfully interbreeding. This suggests that postmating traits may play a special role in the evolution of new species and the diversity of life on earth. This project will identify the underlying genes and gene interactions that contribute to postmating trait differences between two closely related species. The research will provide greater understanding of critical reproductive traits and the evolution of gene networks. The project will provide quantitative training for undergraduate STEM majors at the University of Denver. Students will gain classroom experience analyzing biological data, improving their problem-solving skills, basic programming, and interrogation of biological complexity, which will better prepare students for increasingly data-driven careers in STEM. These educational resources and tools will be disseminated widely, contributing to improved quantitative biology curriculum. Some of the most intricate intergenomic interactions occur after mating, when gametes, reproductive tract tissues, and their secretions battle and coordinate for fertilization. These postmating traits and their underlying genes are some of the most rapidly evolving in the genome. The rapid divergence in postmating traits suggests that they may play an important role in speciation, but an outstanding question is whether the evolution of postmating prezygotic barriers differs from other types of reproductive barriers. The project will investigate the evolution of postmating barriers between two species by pairing in-depth characterization of gene regulatory network divergence with gene expression mapping of postmating barrier traits. These analyses will be compared to variation found in a natural hybrid zone to evaluate the effects of selection on recombinant gene regulatory networks. The project will lead to a better understanding of the evolution of gene expression and provide insight into the evolution and diversity of postmating traits. Students will analyze data generated through this project in the classroom, providing experiential-learning and building students' quantitative training. The data-focused curriculum will teach students to understand genetic complexity, so they better understand differences and applications of biological data, making them better prepared for increasingly data-driven careers in STEM and to be better able to interpret data. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.