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个强大的时机机制组织的。 一个是昼夜节律时钟，组织了最基本的代谢事件，允许动植物每天生存。 其他机制是光周期计时器，组织了季节性事件，包括繁殖，迁移和冬眠。 这两种时序机制中的任何一个都不是致命的。 然而，在昆虫，最丰富，最多样化，在某些情况下，在地球上最危险的动物中，昼夜节律时钟和光周期计时器之间的连接和整合之间的了解很少。 这项研究将揭示使用投手植物蚊子Wyemomyia Smithii这两种生物计时机制之间的进化遗传联系，这非常适合这项研究。 Wyeomyia Smithii生活在一个强大的季节性梯度中，其中包括温和的海平面气候和恶劣的山地气候，均在北卡罗来纳州的人口中。 因此，史密斯（W. smithii）在季节性时机上显示出很大的差异，而同时在所有高程中都表达了典型的昼夜节律行为。 使用五个完善的昼夜节律基因，我们将确定这些基因中的哪个（如果有）控制W. Smithii中的季节性计时器。 这些实验将代表昼夜节律基因的节奏表达以及在严格的现实世界实验中基于遗传的光周期机制的第一个测试。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是首次证明，最近的快速气候变化是驱动动物遗传变化的。 随着气候继续变暖，昆虫在热带和亚热带地区携带的热带疾病数量越来越多，包括登革热，西尼罗河病毒和疟疾，正在入侵，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。 该实验室将继续参加各种媒体制作，讲习班和外行社区的宣传。 W. E. Bradshaw和C. M. Holzapfel正在与美国农业部合作，以使用我们的下一代基因组方法来确定人类和牲畜疾病的蚊子媒介的遗传关系。 这项研究的资金将使这些研究者能够继续他们的本科研究培训的悠久传统。