内容提要：
RNA and proteins can have diverse isoforms due to post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. A fundamental question is whether these isoforms are mostly adaptive or the result of noisy molecular processes. To assess the plausibility of these explanations, we developed mathematical models depicting different regulatory architectures and investigated isoform evolution under multiple population genetic regimes. We found that factors beyond selection, such as effective population size and the number of cis-acting loci, significantly influence evolutionary outcomes. We found that sub-optimal phenotypes are more likely to evolve when populations are small and/or when the number of cis-loci is large. We also discovered that opposing selection on cis- and trans-acting loci can constrain adaptation, leading to a non-monotonic relationship between effective population size and optimization. More generally, our models provide a quantitative framework for developing statistical tests to analyze empirical data.
讲者简介：
Dr. Jiang is a postdoctoral scholar at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Japan, starting in September 2024. His research focuses on the evolution of complex traits, employing theoretical and computational methods to investigate the underlying evolutionary mechanisms. Dr. Jiang earned his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Sun Yat-sen University, where he worked with Prof. Chung-I Wu and Prof. Suhua Shi. He then pursued his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, working with Prof. Jianzhi "George" Zhang. During this time, Dr. Jiang was awarded the prestigious Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship. His doctoral research utilized genomic and phenomic data to explore how adaptive and non-adaptive processes shaped phenotypic divergence across various biological levels, from gene expression to complex morphological traits. From 2022 to 2024, Dr. Jiang was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, where he worked with Dr. Matt Pennell to develop theoretical models for the evolution of complex traits, aiming to provide general quantitative frameworks for future investigations. Currently, he is working with Dr. Lauren Sallan at OIST on projects that bridge population genetics, quantitative genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, and paleobiology.
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