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Principal Investigator: Kieran Samuk
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $382,958
Funding agency: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
PROJECT SUMMARY
Meiotic recombination is a fundamental aspect of reproduction in most eukaryotes. Recombination rate, i.e. the
number of crossovers per generation, is also a key modulator of genetic and evolutionary processes, having
profound effects on basic patterns of genetic inheritance, as well as high-level phenomena like adaptation and
speciation. Errors in recombination (e.g., nondisjunction) also contribute to a variety of human chromosomal
disorders, including trisomy 21 and Klinefelter syndrome. Despite its wide-ranging importance across many
domains of biology, we have a poor understanding of how and why recombination rate varies across biological
scales. Over the next five years, my lab will shed light on the genetic and evolutionary causes and
consequences of recombination rate variation by testing long-standing hypotheses using modern
genomic tools. This work will leverage empirical tools from two model systems, threespine sticklebacks and
Drosophila, and several new key genomic technologies. We will undertake four lines of research to test
hypotheses regarding the evolutionary drivers of recombination rate variation in natural populations. First, we
will explore the evolutionary drivers of recombination rate variation in a model vertebrate, threespine
sticklebacks, using gamete sequencing. Second, we will perform the first experimental test for the role of
structural variants in determining genome-wide recombination rate variation in vertebrates. Third, we will
perform a novel experimental test of the role of chromosomal inversions in adaptation using recent
advancements in CRISPR-mediated chromosomal engineering to create and “undo” chromosomal
arrangements in a Drosophila model species. Finally, we will develop modern and user-friendly statistical
methods for comparing recombination maps within and between species and populations. This research
program will greatly advance our understanding of the fundamental biology of meiotic recombination, create
myriad new resources and tools, and train personnel in cutting-edge techniques that span genomics,
computational biology, and evolutionary biology. These advances will be applicable across all domains of
biology, from understanding the evolution of diseases like SARS-CoV-2, to understanding the fundamental
mechanics of evolution in natural populations.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><Address><Biologic Models><Biological><Biological Models><Biology><COVID-19 virus><COVID19 virus><CRISPR><CRISPR/Cas system><Chromosomal Disorders><Chromosomal Inversion><Chromosome Abnormality Disorders><Chromosome Disorders><Chromosome inversion><Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats><CoV-2><CoV2><Computational Biology><Congenital chromosomal disease><DNA Recombination><Disease><Disorder><Down's Syndrome><Drosophila><Drosophila genus><Engineering><Eukaryota><Eukaryote><Evolution><Gametes><Gasterosteidae><Generations><Genetic><Genetic Non-Disjunction><Genetic Nondisjunction><Genetic Recombination><Genomics><Germ Cells><Germ-Line Cells><Human><Human Resources><Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism><Inheritance Patterns><Klinefelter><Klinefelter syndrome (KS)><Klinefelter's Syndrome><Klinefelter-Reifenstein syndrome><Klinefelter-Reifenstein-Albright syndrome><Langdon Down syndrome><Manpower><Maps><Mechanics><Mediating><Meiotic Recombination><Model System><Modeling><Modern Man><Modernization><Mongolism><Pattern><Population><Process><Recombination><Reproduction><Reproductive Cells><Research><Research Resources><Resources><Role><SARS corona virus 2><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV2><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Sequence Inversion><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Sex Cell><Statistical Methods><Stickleback><Techniques><Technology><Testing><Training><Trisomy 21><Variant><Variation><Vertebrate Animals><Vertebrates><Work><Wuhan coronavirus><XXY syndrome><XXY trisomy><Xq Klinefelter syndrome><biologic><chromosome 21 trisomy syndrome><chromosome XXY syndrome><computer biology><congenital acromicria syndrome><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease-19 virus><fruit fly><genome scale><genome-wide><genomewide><genomic tools><hCoV19><initial cell><mechanic><mechanical><morbus Down><nCoV2><non-disjunction><nondisjunction><novel><personnel><primary hypogonadism><programs><pseudohypertrophic progressive muscular dystrophy><seminiferous tubule dysgenesis><sexual cell><social role><statistic methods><tool><trisomy 21 syndrome><user-friendly><vertebrata>