Collaborative Research: RUI: Evaluating the Molecular Genetic Pathways Responsible for Stable Host: Symbiont Interactions in Sponge:Algal Associations

合作研究：RUI：评估负责稳定宿主的分子遗传途径：海绵：藻类关联中的共生体相互作用

• 批准号: 1555444
• 负责人: Jeremy Weisz
• 金额: $ 12.84万
• 依托单位: Linfield College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-02-01 至 2020-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1555444&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; RUI; Evaluating; Molecular

Intracellular associations between animal hosts and algal symbionts support important ecosystems like coral reefs. Despite the importance of these associations, there is limited understanding of basic aspects about how stable interactions between host and algal partners is achieved. This inhibits our ability to make informed decisions about the management of vulnerable ecosystems. For example, coral reefs experience periodic bleaching events that involve the breakdown of the symbiosis and jeopardize reef health, but the process of bleaching and subsequent recovery of the host are poorly understood. To protect our valuable reef resources, greater understanding of the cellular and genetic cross-talk between symbiotic partners is required. This project will elucidate key components of the conserved genetic regulatory pathways important in host:symbiont exchanges. As changes to ocean environments occur (e.g., increasing average seawater temperatures), it is imperative that details about how hosts support symbiont populations at the cellular and genetic level are fully understood. The project has a diverse suite of planned broader impacts including training of STEM undergraduates, involvement in a pre-college summer bridge program to increase diversity in STEM, partnerships with national leaders in incorporating undergraduate research in community colleges, and high impact community based learning opportunities. The research will refine understanding of host:symbiont interactions through identification of major-effect symbiosis genes and genetic pathways. The proposed work takes advantage of unique properties of marine and freshwater sponge hosts and their algal partners to identify the molecular, genetic, cellular, and physiological interactions that occur. These properties allow control over the timing of symbiont infection, so that gene expression profiles can be correlated with events involved with symbiont contact, engulfment, recognition, intracellular migration, and repopulation. In a methodologically novel way, the research will create different combinations of hosts and algal partners to explore reasons why particular hosts become suitable habitat for particular symbionts while other hosts cannot support those symbionts. The project will explore how down-regulating gene expression can change dynamics of host:symbiont interactions, and combining field-based experiments, RNAseq, and advanced physiological, microscopic, and molecular tools, the research will identify common regulatory features of those interactions. The results will increase understanding of the habitat requirements of the symbiont, and the ability of the hosts to interact with different partners. The results will also help define the scope of change in the identity of symbiotic partners. In addition to intellectual contributions in the form of publications and presentations, this project will expand educational and research opportunities for pre-college, community college, and undergraduate students, particularly those from underserved backgrounds. The proposal will support high impact practices like course-based research and community-based learning in the context of an undergraduate curriculum, as well as community outreach through a multi-disciplinary faculty learning community and civic-engaged talks.

动物宿主与藻类共生体之间的细胞内关联支持重要的生态系统，例如珊瑚礁。尽管这些关联很重要，但对基本方面的理解有限，即关于宿主与藻类伙伴之间如何稳定相互作用的基本方面。这抑制了我们对脆弱生态系统管理的明智决定的能力。例如，珊瑚礁经历了周期性的漂白事件，涉及共生和危害礁石健康的崩溃，但是对宿主的漂白和随后恢复的过程知之甚少。为了保护我们的宝贵礁石资源，需要对共生伙伴之间的细胞和遗传串扰更深入了解。该项目将阐明在主机中重要的遗传调节途径的关键组成部分：共生交易所。随着海洋环境的变化（例如，平均海水温度的升高），必须充分了解有关宿主如何支持在细胞和遗传水平的共生群体的细节。该项目具有各种各样的计划更广泛的影响，包括对STEM大学生的培训，参与大学前的夏季桥梁计划，以增加STEM的多样性，与国家领导者在社区学院纳入本科研究的伙伴关系以及基于社区的高影响力的学习机会。这项研究将通过鉴定主要效应共生基因和遗传途径来完善对宿主的理解：共生体相互作用。提出的工作利用了海洋和淡水海绵宿主及其藻类伴侣的独特特性来识别发生的分子，遗传，细胞和生理相互作用。这些特性允许控制共生体感染的时机，因此基因表达谱可以与与共生物接触，吞噬，识别，细胞内迁移和重新群有关的事件相关。该研究以一种新颖的方式，将创建宿主和藻类伴侣的不同组合，以探讨特定宿主成为特定共生体的合适栖息地而其他宿主无法支持这些共生体的原因。该项目将探讨下调基因表达如何改变宿主的动态：共生体相互作用，结合基于场的实验，RNASEQ以及高级生理，显微镜和分子工具，研究将确定这些相互作用的常见调节特征。结果将提高对共生体栖息地要求的理解，以及宿主与不同伴侣互动的能力。结果还将有助于定义共生伙伴身份的变化范围。除出版物和演示形式的智力贡献外，该项目还将为大学前，社区学院和本科生，尤其是来自服务不足的背景的教育和研究机会扩大教育和研究机会。该提案将在本科课程的背景下支持高影响力实践，例如基于课程的研究和社区学习，以及通过多学科的教师学习社区和公民参与的演讲。