John Kelly - Plant Population
Biology and Genetics
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Phone: (785) 864-3706
Fax: (785) 864-5431
Information on the Kelly Lab
Research Program
Research Interests
It is widely believed that evolutionary processes are too slow to allow direct measurement of genetic changes. For this reason, most applications of evolutionary theory are historical in nature. A theory is tested by comparing its predictions to extant patterns of variation in nature, either within or across taxa. However, when evolutionary changes occur at a rapid pace, it is possible to directly test the dynamical predictions of evolutionary models. There are now many documented examples of rapidly evolving biological systems. One of our primary objectives is to construct and test models that predict observable changes in the genetic composition of populations. These “dynamical studies” augment historical analyses and directly address a wide range of fundamental questions in evolutionary biology.
At present, our laboratory is mainly concerned with quantitative trait evolution in the wildflower Mimulus guttatus (yellow monkeyflower). Given that most interesting traits are complex (influenced by both genes and the environment), quantitative genetics provides a natural framework for predicting trait evolution. We use a mixture of classical techniques (e.g. controlled crosses, inbreeding, and artificial selection), along with modern molecular approaches (e.g. QTL mapping). Principle questions are: (1) How do mutation, migration, genetic drift and natural selection interact to maintain genetic variation in nature? (2) What is the genetic architecture of variation in ecologically important traits such as flower size and pollen viability? (3) How does non-random mating, particularly the tendency of many plant species to self-fertilize, affect evolutionary change? and (4) Do genetic ‘complexities’ such as pleiotropy and epistasis qualitatively alter the evolutionary process?
A secondary interest in our laboratory is gene sequence evolution, with a particular focus on viral pathogens. Many viral pathogens, including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), undergo extensive genetic evolution within a single host. Elucidating the causes and consequences of these genetic changes for disease transmission and pathogenesis is a major challenge for both evolutionary biology and epidemiology.
Kelly, J. K. 2009. Connecting QTLs to the G-Matrix of evolutionary quantitative genetics. Evolution 63(4): 813–825.
Storz, J.F. and J.K. Kelly. 2008. Effects of Geographically Varying Selection on Nucleotide Diversity and Linkage Disequilibrium: Insights from Deer Mouse Globin Genes. Genetics 180: 367–379.
Williamson, S., S. M. Perry, C. D. Bustamante, M. E. Orive, M. N. Stearns, and J. K. Kelly. 2005. A statistical characterization of consistent patterns of human immunodeficiency virus evolution within infected patients. Molecular Biology and Evolution 22(3):456–468.
Kelly, J. K. 2005. Epistasis in monkeyflowers. Genetics 171:1917–1931.
Kelly, J. K. 2003. Deleterious mutations and the genetic variance of male fitness components in Mimulus guttatus. Genetics 164:1071–1085.
Kelly, J. K, S. Williamson, M. E. Orive, M. Smith, and R. D. Holt. 2003. Linking dynamical and population genetic models of persistent viral infection. American Naturalist 162:14–28.
Kelly, J. K. 1999. Response to selection in partially self fertilizing populations. I. Selection on a single trait. Evolution 53:336–349.
Kelly, J. K. 1997. A test of neutrality based on inter-locus associations. Genetics 146:1197–1206.
Kelly, J. K. 1996. Kin selection in the annual plant Impatiens capensis. American Naturalist 147:899–918.
Kelly, J. K. and M. A. F. Noor. 1996. Speciation by reinforcement: a model derived from studies of Drosophila. Genetics 143:1485–1497.
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