Graduation Semester and Year
2016
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Clay Jeffery
Second Advisor
Clark Demuth
Abstract
The formation of new species results from reproductive isolation, or the barrier to successful mating between organisms of divergent populations. The degree of reproductive isolation can be measured by the reduction in fitness of hybrid offspring that can result from incompatibilities between the genotypes of each parent. In this study, genetic incompatibilities arising at the earliest stage of speciation are examined between intraspecific hybrids in which an effectively sterile hybrid phenotype termed “still†is observed at ~50% frequency in crosses between divergent populations of Tribolium castaneum. Timing and magnitude of gene expression regulation is examined at four stages of development, two pupal and two adult. Gene interactions are examined on a systemic level to elucidate proximal mechanisms for misregulation such as allele bias and alternative splicing. Further evidence is put forth for phosphine resistance as a possible driver of the genetic incompatibility behind “still.†Misregulated genes exhibit functional enrichment across developmental timepoints for oxidative damage, neuromuscular function, and chromosome structure.
Keywords
Speciation, Gene expression
Disciplines
Biology | Life Sciences
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Nicholas, Long A., "Gene Expression Differences in Hybrids at Beginning of Speciation Continuum" (2016). Biology Theses. 67.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/biology_theses/67
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington