榕小蜂具自然界罕见的极端雌雄异形和雄性多型等复杂性状，但相关的分子鉴定、基因进化和基因组学研究几乎空白。申请人以自然状态下的榕小蜂为研究对象，从形态学和生态学的角度描述和分析、用多个分子标记确定复杂性状与相应物种的关联，运用基因进化的手段追寻复杂生物性状的历史轨迹，从全基因组的视角并结合转录组数据分析形态适应的组学痕迹，揭示基因的差异表达格局。这些研究成果在复杂性状的定性、与榕小蜂群落中相应物种的关联等方面取得了进展，但这些复杂性状的定量研究和其产生的分子基础却知之甚少。尽管我们通过转录组研究展示了极端雌雄异型的榕小蜂性别特异的基因表达格局，但精度不够。特别是对榕小蜂中极端雄性多型现象还没有任何涉及其产生的遗传基础的研究。因此，申请人拟结合形态学特征的深度分析开展形态性状的定量分析、通过精细的野外生态学实验和转录组学分析，继续探寻其复杂形态性状、特别是极端雌雄异型和雄虫多型的遗传基础。

Fig wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) display complex characters of extremely sexual dimorphism and male polymorphism, on which few studies of molecular identification, gene evolution and even genomics have been taken. By focusing on the natural population of fig wasps and using multiple molecular markers, the applicant has confirmed the correlation of each species with its complex characters, by combining skills and perspectives of taxonomy and ecology. She has also been trying to trace out the evolutionary history of complex biological characters by studying the evolution of genes. Her recent novel studies on the genomics and transcriptomes of a fig wasp species have presented a global investigation into the adaptation of morphology, and led to novel insights into the sex-specific gene expression pattern of the species with extremely sexual dimorphic morphology. All of the above studies have made progress in the qualitative description of complex biological characters, and the matching of co-specific female and male individuals in fig wasps community, however left the quantitative studies and molecular basis of the complex characters still undisclosed. Though our comparative analyses on the transcriptomes have presented the sex-specific gene expression pattern, they are still too imprecise to give us a clear idea how the complex characters evolved. In addition, no studies have been reported on the genetic basis of male polymorphism of fig wasps. The applicant plans to further explore the evolution of the complex morphological characters of fig wasps, especially the genetic basis of extremely sexual dimorphism and male polymorphism, by combining quantitative studies of morphological characters, precise field ecological experiments and transcriptomic comparative analyses.

榕小蜂具自然界罕见的极端雌雄异型和雄性多型等复杂形状，但我们对这些复杂性状产生的分子基础却知之甚少。我们之前已经通过转录组研究展示了极端雌雄异型的榕小蜂性别特异的基因表达格局，但仅仅是开始。本项目里，我们遴选了极端雌雄异型的传粉榕小蜂Ceratosolen solmsi以及兼具极端雌雄异型和雄性多型的的非传粉小蜂Philotrypesis sp.两个物种，基于高通量测序技术手段，比较研究了小RNA，内共生菌Wolbachia与榕小蜂复杂性状产生的关联。我们的结果表明，多个小RNA可能参与了榕小蜂的变态现象以及雌雄异型的产生。内共生菌Wolbachia在榕小蜂雌雄个体里扮演不同角色，与雌虫更和谐相处，而与雄虫则更相互拮抗，暗示其与榕小蜂的雌雄异型有紧密联系。进一步的关于非传粉小蜂多型雄虫的转录组比较也将为我们揭示更多雄性多型产生的分子基础。这些研究结果为我们更深层次了解榕小蜂复杂性状产生提供了新的证据和视角。