Identity and Function of Heliconius Mimicry Genes

蜗牛拟态基因的身份和功能

• 批准号: 1052541
• 负责人: Robert Reed
• 金额: $ 51.5万
• 依托单位: University of California-Irvine
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-03-15 至 2013-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1052541&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Identity; Function; Heliconius; Mimicry; Genes

A primary goal of modern biodiversity research is to identify the genes underlying adaptation and diversification. Despite the intense interest in this topic, relatively few such genes have been characterized from natural populations, and fewer still have been compared between species. Butterfly wing patterns represent an exceptional opportunity for identifying and studying adaptation genes. Indeed, for over a century wing patterns have been a favorite system for studying adaptation, primarily because the links between variation and adaptive value are so easy to understand - especially in cases such as mimicry, camouflage, startle response, and mate-choice. In this particular project the investigators will work to identify the major genes controlling mimicry-related color pattern variation in Heliconius butterflies. Remarkably, over the last 20 millions years it appears that only three major genes have been responsible for much of the dramatic color pattern variation in this genus. The investigators will apply modern genetic and developmental methods to characterize these genes and assess their functions across different species. By understanding these genes at a molecular level biologists will be better poised to understand why some genes tend to facilitate biological diversification more than others.The investigators of this project have strong records of involving students, including undergraduates, in laboratory research. The Reed Lab will continue to participate in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program, which allows prospective community college transfer students from underserved populations to participate in summer research experiences, and W.O. McMillan and R. Papa will help develop and enhance Latin American Internship Programs at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute at the University of Puerto Rico, respectively. This project will support the training of one graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher in the fields of genomics and developmental biology.

现代生物多样性研究的主要目标是确定适应和多样化的基因。尽管对该主题引起了极大的兴趣，但从天然种群中表现出相对较少的此类基因，并且在物种之间仍然比较了更少的基因。蝴蝶翼模式代表了识别和研究适应基因的非凡机会。的确，在一个世纪以上的机翼模式中，它一直是研究适应的最喜欢的系统，主要是因为变异和适应价值之间的联系非常容易理解 - 尤其是在模仿，伪装，惊吓，惊吓，伴侣反应和伴侣选择的情况下。在这个特定的项目中，研究人员将致力于确定控制模仿相关颜色模式变化的主要基因。值得注意的是，在过去的2000年中，似乎只有三个主要基因是该属中的许多戏剧性色谱变化的原因。研究人员将采用现代遗传和发育方法来表征这些基因并评估它们在不同物种之间的功能。通过了解分子水平生物学家的这些基因将更好地理解为什么某些基因倾向于促进生物多样化的原因，而不是其他基因。该项目的研究人员有强有力的记录，即在实验室研究中参与包括本科生在内的学生。 REED实验室将继续参加Bridges的学科课程，该计划允许来自服务不足人群的潜在社区大学转学学生参加夏季研究经验，W.O.麦克米兰（McMillan）和帕帕（R. Papa）将分别在波多黎各大学的史密森尼热带研究所（Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute）开发和增强拉丁美洲实习计划。该项目将支持一名研究生和一名基因组学和发育生物学领域的博士后研究员的培训。