# Unraveling the Molecular and Population Genetic Complexity of Adaptive Trait Evolution

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $323,908

## Abstract

Project Summary
 This research aims for a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the genetics of adaptation than
has been possible to date. While many trait-associated variants have now been detected by genome-wide
association studies, very few of these SNPs have been directly connected to adaptive phenotypes, and the
genetic interactions that govern whether their effects are visible to selection. Such knowledge is crucial to
composing realistic and testable models for how widespread standing genetic variation within populations is
funneled through the sieve of natural selection.
 The evolution of melanism in high altitude Drosophila melanogaster populations offers several
critical advantages for this endeavor. First, the species offers key functional genetic and population
genomic resources, along with a well-annotated genome. Second, prior molecular and evolutionary studies
have provided strong background knowledge on the trait, including a compelling set of candidate genes. Third,
the study of recent adaptive evolution between populations of the same species maximizes the utility of genetic
mapping, population genetics, and functional comparisons of alleles. These features will allow the dissection
of this model adaptive trait in unparalleled detail, yielding insights regarding:
 1. the functional nature of causative variants,
 2. genetic variability of the adaptive response,
 3. the prevalence and molecular logic of epistasis among adaptive variants,
 4. roles of cryptic variation in adaptive change,
 5. the importance of standing genetic variation in trait evolution.
 Results of this research will advance basic understanding of the adaptive evolutionary process. It will
also inform on the importance of genetic background in assessing the phenotypic impact of genetic variants, a
key step in understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits including human disease. Investigation of
these critical topics will be bolstered by a profoundly integrative research plan that leverages the investigators'
complementary backgrounds to fuse novel molecular experiments, genomic analysis, and statistical inference.
 This research will identify genetic variants underlying melanic adaptation in Ethiopian D. melanogaster,
fusing genomic mapping and variation analysis with transgenic tests to pinpoint causative changes (Aim 1). It
will also advance beyond that goal to reveal the complex interactions that modulate the phenotypic impact of
causative variants (Aim 2), examining tissue- and population-specific gene regulation, and non-additive
interactions among melanic variants. These investigations will provide a critical case study that will clarify the
complexity of adaptive trait evolution at molecular and genetic levels.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9901541
- **Project number:** 5R01GM127480-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN E POOL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $323,908
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9901541

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9901541, Unraveling the Molecular and Population Genetic Complexity of Adaptive Trait Evolution (5R01GM127480-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9901541. Licensed CC0.

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