Collaborative Research: Evolutionary Dynamics of Endosymbiont-Borne Adaptation in Aphids

合作研究：蚜虫内共生体适应的进化动力学

• 批准号: 9627879
• 负责人: Paul Baumann
• 金额: $ 12.5万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-02-15 至 1999-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9627879&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Evolutionary; Dynamics; Endosymbiont

9627879 BAUMANN Aphids and many other plant-feeding insects are dependent on specialized bacteria, called endosymbionts, that live within cells and that are transmitted from the mother insect to her offspring. The best documented function of endosymbionts within aphids is the provision of the essential nutrient, tryptophan. Because aphids do not ingest tryptophan in their diets, they depend on their endosymbionts to provide this nutrient. Thus the bacterial genes that underlie tryptophan production are critical to the growth and reproduction of the insect host. This study examines the evolution of the endosymbiont genes underlying tryptophan production in aphids. Previous work has indicated that these genes show an unusual pattern of accelerated evolution in the endosymbionts of certain aphid species. This project uses methods of molecular biology to test explanations for the variation in evolutionary rates in this gene. Because endosymbionts are an essential component of many crop pests, including such groups as aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects, this study will contribute to fundamental knowledge that could ultimately lead to progress in pest management. Agricultural entomologists have suggested that the short-term evolution of endosymbiont traits that affect insect performance is important in the origin of new strains of pest species. This study will be one of the first to directly examine evolution within endosymbiont genes that are critical to insect survival and reproduction.

9627879鲍曼蚜虫和许多其他植物喂养的昆虫依赖于居住在细胞内的专门细菌，称为内共生菌，并从母昆虫传播到她的后代。蚜虫中内共生体的最佳记录功能是提供基本营养物质色氨酸。由于蚜虫不会在饮食中吸收色氨酸，因此它们依靠内共生体提供这种营养。因此，基于色氨酸生产的细菌基因对于昆虫宿主的生长和繁殖至关重要。这项研究检查了蚜虫中色氨酸产生的内共生基因的演变。 先前的工作表明，这些基因在某些蚜虫物种的内共生体中表现出异常的加速进化模式。该项目使用分子生物学方法来测试该基因进化速率变化的解释。 由于内共生菌是许多作物害虫的重要组成部分，包括蚜虫，粉丝和规模昆虫等群体，因此这项研究将有助于最终导致害虫管理进展的基本知识。 农业昆虫学家已经提出，影响昆虫性能的内共生特征的短期演变在新的害虫物种的起源中很重要。这项研究将是最早直接检查内共生基因中进化的研究之一，这些基因对昆虫的生存和繁殖至关重要。