Geographic variation and comparative gene expression: Nature's gift to resolve the connection between the daily clock and the seasonal timer

地理变异和比较基因表达：解决日常时钟和季节计时器之间联系的大自然礼物

• 批准号: 1255628
• 负责人: William Bradshaw
• 金额: $ 49.76万
• 依托单位: University of Oregon Eugene
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1255628&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Geographic; variation; comparative; gene; expression

The known biological world is organized by two powerful timing mechanisms. One, the circadian clock, organizes the most basic metabolic events that allow plants and animals to survive on a daily basis. The other mechanism, the photoperiodic timer, organizes seasonal events including reproduction, migration and hibernation. Discordance in either of these two timing mechanisms is lethal. Yet, the connections between and the integration of the circadian clock and the photoperiodic timer are poorly understood in insects, the most abundant, diverse and, in some cases, most dangerous animals on Earth. This research will reveal the evolutionary genetic connection between these two biological timing mechanisms using the pitcher-plant mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii, which is uniquely suited to this study. Wyeomyia smithii lives in a strong seasonal gradient that includes both a mild sea-level climate and a harsh mountain climate, all in populations located in North Carolina. Hence, W. smithii shows great variation in its seasonal timing while at the same time expresses typical circadian behavior at all elevations. Using five well-established circadian clock genes, we will determine which, if any, of these genes control the seasonal timer in W. smithii. These experiments will represent the first test of the rhythmic expression of the circadian clock genes, and of the genetically based photoperiodic mechanism in a rigorous, real-world experiment. The research on the evolutionary genetics and physiology of the photoperiodic timer by these researchers was the first demonstration that recent rapid climate change is driving genetic change in animals. As the climate continues to warm, increasing numbers of tropical diseases, including dengue fever, West Nile virus and malaria, carried by insects in the tropics and subtropics, are invading and will continue to invade the United States and other temperate regions of the world. Identifying the genes underlying the connections between the major biological timing mechanisms will provide a powerful tool for targeting, mitigating and interrupting these invasions. This lab will continue to participate in a wide variety of media productions, workshops, and outreach to the lay community. W. E. Bradshaw and C. M. Holzapfel are collaborating with the US Department of Agriculture to determine genetic relationships of mosquito vectors of human and livestock diseases using our next-generation genomic approaches. Funding of this research will enable these investigators to continue their long tradition of undergraduate research training.

已知的生物世界是由两种强大的计时机制组织起来的。 其中之一是生物钟，它组织最基本的代谢事件，使植物和动物能够每天生存。 另一种机制是光周期计时器，负责组织季节性事件，包括繁殖、迁徙和冬眠。 这两种计时机制中任何一个的不一致都是致命的。 然而，昆虫是地球上数量最多、种类最多、在某些情况下也是最危险的动物，人们对生物钟和光周期计时器之间的联系和整合知之甚少。 这项研究将利用猪笼草蚊子 Wyeomyia smithii 来揭示这两种生物计时机制之间的进化遗传联系，这种蚊子特别适合这项研究。 Wyeomyia smithii 生活在强烈的季节梯度中，包括温和的海平面气候和严酷的山地气候，所有种群都位于北卡罗来纳州。 因此，W. smithii 在季节时间上表现出很大的变化，同时在所有海拔上都表现出典型的昼夜节律行为。 使用五个成熟的生物钟基因，我们将确定这些基因中的哪些（如果有的话）控制 W. smithii 的季节性计时器。 这些实验将代表在严格的真实实验中对生物钟基因的节律表达以及基于遗传的光周期机制的首次测试。这些研究人员对光周期计时器的进化遗传学和生理学的研究首次证明，近期快速的气候变化正在推动动物的基因变化。 随着气候持续变暖，越来越多由热带和亚热带昆虫携带的热带疾病，包括登革热、西尼罗河病毒和疟疾，正在并将继续入侵美国和世界其他温带地区。 识别主要生物计时机制之间联系的基因将为靶向、减轻和中断这些入侵提供强大的工具。 该实验室将继续参与各种媒体制作、研讨会以及对非专业社区的推广。 W. E. Bradshaw 和 C. M. Holzapfel 正在与美国农业部合作，利用我们的下一代基因组方法确定人类和牲畜疾病的蚊子媒介的遗传关系。 这项研究的资助将使这些研究人员能够继续他们本科生研究培训的悠久传统。