Intergenomic conflict and the evolution of uniparental inheritance of mitochondria. Why do all mammalian male sperm cells destroy their own mitochondria after fertilisation? A major evolutionary theory, the conflict hypothesis, aims to answer this question. The argument goes as follows. If an organism were to contain mitochondria from both parents, each mitochondrial lineage would be selected in an “arms race” to replicate faster than the other lineage, and this would likely be costly to the org ....Intergenomic conflict and the evolution of uniparental inheritance of mitochondria. Why do all mammalian male sperm cells destroy their own mitochondria after fertilisation? A major evolutionary theory, the conflict hypothesis, aims to answer this question. The argument goes as follows. If an organism were to contain mitochondria from both parents, each mitochondrial lineage would be selected in an “arms race” to replicate faster than the other lineage, and this would likely be costly to the organism. Uniparental inheritance of mitochondria prevents such evolutionary arms race. Sounds plausible? Yes. Has it been tested? No. This project will be the first attempt to test this intriguing hypothesis. Experimental evidence for the evolution of selfish mitochondria would provide solid support for this major evolutionary theory. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101625
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,536.00
Summary
The evolutionary significance of ejaculate-female interactions. The way that ejaculates interact with the female reproductive tract is thought to have profound evolutionary implications in internal fertilizers. Yet we currently lack clear insights into these processes in most taxa, precisely because such ejaculate-female interactions are hidden from view inside the female's reproductive tract. In this project an integrated series of experiments on a model vertebrate (the guppy) will overcome the ....The evolutionary significance of ejaculate-female interactions. The way that ejaculates interact with the female reproductive tract is thought to have profound evolutionary implications in internal fertilizers. Yet we currently lack clear insights into these processes in most taxa, precisely because such ejaculate-female interactions are hidden from view inside the female's reproductive tract. In this project an integrated series of experiments on a model vertebrate (the guppy) will overcome the inherent challenges in studying ejaculate-female interactions. The project aims to shed new light on the role that ejaculate-female interactions play in sperm competition, and will explore the consequences of these interactions at different evolutionary levels and across varying social environments.Read moreRead less
Conservation genomics of a critically endangered insect. This project aims to develop tools genotyping large animal genomes, focusing on the case of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, once thought to be extinct and now critically endangered. This project expects to generate molecular tools to monitor the genetic health the insect which has a large, complex and poorly understood genome. Expected outcomes include the development of a preservation and reintroduction strategy for the insect. This pr ....Conservation genomics of a critically endangered insect. This project aims to develop tools genotyping large animal genomes, focusing on the case of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, once thought to be extinct and now critically endangered. This project expects to generate molecular tools to monitor the genetic health the insect which has a large, complex and poorly understood genome. Expected outcomes include the development of a preservation and reintroduction strategy for the insect. This project will benefit ongoing conservation efforts, and is timely given the ongoing eradication of rats from Lord Howe Island where this species once lived. Read moreRead less
Towards a balanced veiw of parental effects: gaps, biases and opportunities. This project aims to identify and address knowledge gaps in research on parental effects by employing different methodologies (bibliometrics, systematic mapping) and developing novel methods of meta-analysis. This project expects to generate a more holistic and complete view of parental effects on offspring traits than currently appreciated, by elucidating the role of fathers and offspring in addition to mothers. Expect ....Towards a balanced veiw of parental effects: gaps, biases and opportunities. This project aims to identify and address knowledge gaps in research on parental effects by employing different methodologies (bibliometrics, systematic mapping) and developing novel methods of meta-analysis. This project expects to generate a more holistic and complete view of parental effects on offspring traits than currently appreciated, by elucidating the role of fathers and offspring in addition to mothers. Expected outcomes of the project include advancing the field of parental effects and creating new and powerful meta-analytic methods, opening up new avenues for research synthesis. This should provide significant benefits by directing future research in related fields and inspiring new kinds of meta-analyses across disciplines.Read moreRead less
Paternal effects: Non-genetic inheritance via seminal fluid? This project seeks to improve understanding of the mechanisms of non-genetic inheritance and its ability to promote adaptation. Although offspring are known to resemble their parents through the action of genes, there is now a growing awareness of non-genetic mechanisms by which parents can affect the growth and health of their offspring. This project aims to quantify the putative role of seminal fluid in so-called non-genetic inherita ....Paternal effects: Non-genetic inheritance via seminal fluid? This project seeks to improve understanding of the mechanisms of non-genetic inheritance and its ability to promote adaptation. Although offspring are known to resemble their parents through the action of genes, there is now a growing awareness of non-genetic mechanisms by which parents can affect the growth and health of their offspring. This project aims to quantify the putative role of seminal fluid in so-called non-genetic inheritance. Using an insect model, the project aims to identify proteins in the seminal fluid that promote early embryo development, explore how males allocate these proteins to their mates, and how females adjust their own reproduction in response to seminal fluid proteins. Improving knowledge of these mechanisms may enable the development of interventions to control the unwanted evolution of harmful organisms.Read moreRead less
Packed to perform: the effects of telomere traits and free radicals on sperm phenotypes, fertilization success, and offspring viability. This project will integrate telomeres, free radicals and sperm biology into a coherent research program on the roles of free radicals in eroding telomeres and dictating: success in sperm competition and cryptic female choice; longevity and life time fitness in the wild; and, transgenerational effects on offspring viability, in particular mediated via paternal t ....Packed to perform: the effects of telomere traits and free radicals on sperm phenotypes, fertilization success, and offspring viability. This project will integrate telomeres, free radicals and sperm biology into a coherent research program on the roles of free radicals in eroding telomeres and dictating: success in sperm competition and cryptic female choice; longevity and life time fitness in the wild; and, transgenerational effects on offspring viability, in particular mediated via paternal telomere length. Specifically, the project researches how sperm telomere length in sires shorten under stress and how this epigenetic effect is transferred from sires to sons and potentially moderates also filial success in sperm competition and attractiveness in cryptic female choice. Read moreRead less
Lamarckian lizards: novel integration of telomere epigenetics, free radicals and innate antioxidants in condition-dependant sexual signal evolution. In 2009, the Nobel Prize in physiology was awarded Drs. Blackburn, Greider and Szostak for discoveries on telomeres. This project will investigate how telomeres not only cap chromosomes from destruction by free radicals, but also have a key role in life itself, in their influence on ageing, longevity, ornaments and lifetime reproductive success.
Female fluids in post-copulatory sexual selection. This project aims to test the causes, consequences and mechanisms of female reproductive fluids in modulating fertilisation bias in a model vertebrate species, the zebrafish. Female reproductive fluids (the fluid surrounding eggs) may moderate sperm selection by females, thus facilitating mate choice at the gamete level. This project will study interactions involving sperm and female reproductive fluid in an evolutionary framework. The intended ....Female fluids in post-copulatory sexual selection. This project aims to test the causes, consequences and mechanisms of female reproductive fluids in modulating fertilisation bias in a model vertebrate species, the zebrafish. Female reproductive fluids (the fluid surrounding eggs) may moderate sperm selection by females, thus facilitating mate choice at the gamete level. This project will study interactions involving sperm and female reproductive fluid in an evolutionary framework. The intended outcome is increased knowledge of these processes, and better understanding of how non-gamete factors affect fertility, which could benefit fields as diverse as human fertility and aquaculture.Read moreRead less
Evolution and role of neo-sex chromosomes in mitonuclear co-evolution. This project aims to characterize the evolution of novel, extended sex chromosomes in an Australian bird, then elucidate their role in climate-associated adaptive evolution. The species falls into two lineages bearing distinct mitochondrial genomes and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes carried on sex chromosomes. The project aims to test whether this extraordinary genome arrangement is splitting the species into two forms: ....Evolution and role of neo-sex chromosomes in mitonuclear co-evolution. This project aims to characterize the evolution of novel, extended sex chromosomes in an Australian bird, then elucidate their role in climate-associated adaptive evolution. The species falls into two lineages bearing distinct mitochondrial genomes and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes carried on sex chromosomes. The project aims to test whether this extraordinary genome arrangement is splitting the species into two forms: one adapted to hotter, drier environments, one to milder ones. This would be tackled using an innovative combination of genomics, cytogenetics, and metabolic data. Understanding the mechanisms at play would represent a major advance in ecology and evolution, with potential implications for conservation management.Read moreRead less