RUI: There is more to the Hox code than you thought - the role of the "Hox fin/limb building toolkit" genes in the evolution of vertebrate diversity

RUI：Hox 代码比你想象的更多——“Hox 鳍/肢构建工具包”基因在脊椎动物多样性进化中的作用

基本信息

批准号：
1656487
负责人：
Karen Crow
金额：
$ 50.96万
依托单位：
San Francisco State University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-02-01 至 2024-01-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1656487&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
RUI There more Hox code

项目摘要

One of the primary goals of Evolutionary Developmental Biology is to understand the genetic basis of morphological evolution. While there is intense interest in cataloging and conserving diversity in nature, we are only beginning to understand the mechanisms responsible for generating biodiversity. Fins and limbs are homologous structures that are patterned by a shared genetic repertoire of HoxA/D expression, which has been referred to as the 'Hox fin/limb building toolkit'. A unique expression pattern is associated with the most famous example of a novel limb modification that specifies digit identity and the origin of the thumb in the human hand. The pattern also occurs in fishes and sharks, indicating that it arose in the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. Recent evidence indicates that the Hox code is more complex than previously recognized, yet few derived morphologies have been evaluated. This project examines the role of Hox genes in the evolution and development of novel fin/limb modifications in three divergent lineages that exhibit unique body plan features, and for which the ecological or physiological significance is understood. This research engages undergraduates in using genomic tools to answer newly tractable questions, and is based at a public state university that serves a large undergraduate population with a high proportion of underrepresented minorities. The focal taxa (sharks, manta rays, paddlefish and surfperches) are highly charismatic and command intense interest in the public eye. The PI has a track record of involving undergraduates in research, professional presentations, and publication, and will develop educational materials to engage the general public in understanding the genetic underpinnings of the evolution of diversity, including fin and limb modifications that share deep homology with our own hands and feet, while serving the NSF's mission of connecting research, education and public outreach. Vertebrates exhibit a remarkable array of fin and limb modifications that are clear homologs of human appendages, yet the genetic underpinnings of most have not been characterized. Their variety forms the basis for the observed morphological diversity in vertebrates, and their novelty provides a unique opportunity for elucidating general principles of morphological evolution. The overarching goal of this research is to evaluate the modularity and plasticity of the Hox fin/limb-building program in the evolution of morphological diversity in vertebrates by addressing the following questions: - Do claspers or cephalic lobes represent independent sets of paired appendages in modern cartilaginous fishes that are patterned by the Hox fin/limb pathway genes? - Are novel deployments of the Hox fin/limb pathway genes associated with morphological diversity in medial fin structures such as the genital protuberance in surfperch anal fin, or the elongated caudal fin in paddlefish?This research will employ a functional genomic screen composed of multiple approaches including RNASeq, in situ hybridization, functional assays, and evaluation of conserved/novel regulatory sequences for the Hox fin/limb toolkit genes that are known to pattern fins/limbs in model taxa.

进化发展生物学的主要目标之一是了解形态进化的遗传基础。尽管对本质上的分类和保护多样性具有强烈的兴趣，但我们才开始理解负责产生生物多样性的机制。鳍和四肢是由Hoxa/d表达的共享遗传曲目实现的同源结构，被称为“ Hox Fin/limb构建工具包”。独特的表达模式与最著名的肢体修饰的最著名示例有关，该肢体修饰指定数字身份和人类手中拇指的起源。该模式也发生在鱼类和鲨鱼中，表明它是在颌脊椎动物的共同祖先中产生的。最近的证据表明，HOX代码比以前认识的更为复杂，但很少评估衍生的形态。该项目研究了HOX基因在三个不同的谱系中新型鳍/肢体修饰的进化和发展中的作用，这些谱系表现出独特的身体计划特征，并且了解了生态或生理意义。这项研究使本科生使用基因组工具来回答新批准的问题，并基于一所公立州立大学，该公立大学为大量本科人口提供服务，其中代表性不足的少数群体比例很高。焦点分类单元（鲨鱼，蝠te，paddlefish和surfperches）对公众眼睛具有很高的魅力和强烈的兴趣。 PI具有使本科生参与研究，专业演示和出版物的记录，并将开发教育材料，以吸引公众了解多样性演变的遗传基础，包括鳍和肢体修饰，这些修改与我们自己的手和脚共享同源性，同时在NSF连接研究，教育和公共教育的使命时，都可以与我们自己的手和脚进行深入的同源性。脊椎动物表现出一系列显着的鳍和肢体修饰，它们是人类附属物的明显同源物，但是大多数遗传基础尚未表征。它们的品种构成了脊椎动物中观察到的形态多样性的基础，它们的新颖性为阐明形态进化的一般原则提供了独特的机会。这项研究的总体目的是通过解决以下问题来评估HOX FIN/LIMB建造计划的模块化和可塑性在形态学多样性的演变中： - claspers或头虫叶代表由HOX Fin/limber Genes中的现代软骨鱼类构成现代软骨鱼类中的成对抚摸的独立相关性集合？ - Are novel deployments of the Hox fin/limb pathway genes associated with morphological diversity in medial fin structures such as the genital protuberance in surfperch anal fin, or the elongated caudal fin in paddlefish?This research will employ a functional genomic screen composed of multiple approaches including RNASeq, in situ hybridization, functional assays, and evaluation of conserved/novel regulatory sequences for the Hox鳍/肢体工具包已知，这些基因已知，这些基因已知模型分类单元中的鳍/肢体。