Evolutionary and functional impact of common genomic structural variations

Active Project Grant Awarded Last action

Award ID
R35GM156519
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$1,650,386

Award facts

Assistance listing
93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training
Completion date 34% complete
Place of performance
Buffalo, NY 14260, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

Abstract
The long-term goal of our laboratory is to elucidate the evolutionary, biomedical, and functional impact of genomic structural variation. Genomic structural variants (SVS), which are deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations of large segments of DNA, were recently appreciated as a primary contributor to biomedically and evolutionarily relevant phenotypic diversity. My group has led several studies integrating evolutionary genomics with in vivo models to provide a theoretical and methodological framework for studying SVS. We identified hundreds of candidate SVS evolving under selective constraint and enriched for metabolic and immune functions. Recent advances in long-read sequencing, along with the advent of various functional genomics datasets, enabled the systematic study of the evolution and function of SVS. In the next five years, we will address specific hypotheses that we constructed based on our preliminary data: research area 1: what mutational mechanisms shape the size, functional impact, and genomic distribution of different types of SVS? We will test the hypothesis that both replication slippage and non-homologous recombination-based mechanisms underlie exonic copy number variation in humans, where negative selection eliminates frame-shift mutations and maintains the integrity of sequence motifs essential for biological function, such as glycosylation binding sites. Our insights from this research will unveil new insights into genetic stability and the mutational basis of biomedically relevant variation. Research area 2: what evolutionary processes maintain functional SVS in the human population? We will test the hypothesis that structural variation in gene families that encode digestive enzymes linked to metabolic disease has evolved under geography-specific selection on standing variation. This research explores how different types of structural variation in larger gene families are evolving rapidly in a population-specific manner and delves into the potential effects of these variations on metabolic health. Research area 3: how do different types of SVS affect biological function at the genetic, transcriptomic, cellular, and organismal levels? In this broad context, we will test the hypothesis using an in vivo model that a common deletion involving the growth hormone receptor gene has broad but SEX- and environment-dependent effects on metabolic and immunity traits, which underlies susceptibility to obesity. This research will establish a common structural variant as a key driver of metabolic traits and provide mechanistic insights into how this variant affects growth signaling pathway function. Significance and impact: our integrative research program will determine novel ways SVS influence chromosomal stability and affect biological function in an evolutionary framework. The overall vision of the research program is to understand the mechanistic basis through which SVS are linked to biological function to provide a more accurate picture of the expected impact of structural variation on disease risk.

Transactions

Action Obligated Date
Amendment Equipment supplement to 1R35GM156519: renewing a digital droplet PCR reader - we are requesting funds to replace a digital droplet reader that is essential to… $82,921
Amendment $40,191
Amendment Equipment supplement to 1R35GM156519: renewing a digital droplet PCR reader - we are requesting funds to replace a digital droplet reader that is essential to… $40,191
Amendment $361,723
Amendment $361,723
Amendment Equipment supplement to 1R35GM156519: renewing a digital droplet PCR reader - we are requesting funds to replace a digital droplet reader that is essential to… $361,723
Original award $401,914

Quick answers

Who received award R35GM156519?

R35GM156519 was awarded to The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York by National Institute of General Medical Sciences (National Institutes of Health) on February 1, 2025.

How much is award R35GM156519 worth?

$1,650,386 has been obligated on R35GM156519.

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