Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals

合作研究：高品质威德尔海豹与低品质威德尔海豹繁殖成功的生理和遗传相关性

• 批准号: 1853326
• 负责人: Allyson Hindle
• 金额: $ 11.91万
• 依托单位: University of Nevada Las Vegas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1853326&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Physiological; Genetic; Correlates; Collaborative; Research; Physiological; Genetic; Correlates

Within any population, some individuals perform better than others. These individuals may survive longer or produce more offspring. Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica, provide an unparalleled opportunity to investigate how an animal's physiology, behavior, and genetic make-up contribute to lifetime reproductive success because they have been the subject of a long-term population monitoring study and are easily accessible during their reproductive season. This project will distinguish key differences in energy allocation, reproductive timing, and dive capacities between female Weddell seals with a history of frequently producing pups ("high-quality" group), versus females that have produced pups only infrequently ("low-quality" group). For each group of females, physiology and behavior during the nursing period will be analyzed to assess whether investments influence their probability of reproducing the following year. Whole genomes will be compared between groups to identify underlying genes that govern reproductive success and population stability in a long-lived mammal. This collaborative project will provide research opportunities and training to several undergraduate and graduate students at the three participating institutions. Results will be broadly disseminated through presentations and peer-reviewed publications, and to students via an extensive public outreach collaboration with museum programming, curriculum-aligned science lessons, and pedagogy training.Within any wild animal population there is substantial heterogeneity in reproductive rates and animal fitness. Not all individuals contribute to the population equally; some are able to produce more offspring than others and thus are considered to be of higher quality. This study aims to distinguish which physiological mechanisms (energy dynamics, aerobic capacity, and fertility) and underlying genetic factors make some Weddell seal females particularly successful at producing pups year after year, while others produce far fewer pups than the population average. In this project, an Organismal Energetics approach will identify key differences between high- and low-quality females in how they balance current and future reproductive success by tracking lactation costs, midsummer foraging success and pregnancy rates, and overwinter foraging patterns and live births the next year. Repeated sampling of individuals' physiological status (body composition, endocrinology, ovulation and pregnancy timing), will be paired with a whole-genome sequencing study. The second component of this study uses a Genome to Phenome approach to better understand how genetic differences between high- and low-quality females directly correspond to functional differences in transcription, translation, and ultimately phenotype. This component will contribute to the functional analysis and annotation of the Weddell seal genome. In combination, this project will make strides towards distinguishing the roles that plastic (physiological, behavioral) and fixed (genetic) factors play in complex, multifaceted traits such as fitness in a long-lived wild mammal. The project partners with established programs to implement extensive educational and outreach activities that will ensure wide dissemination to educators, students, and the public. It will contribute to a marine mammal exhibit at the Pink Palace Museum, and a PolarTREC science educator will participate in field work in Antarctica. This award is co-funded by the GEO-OPP-Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program, BIO-IOS-Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在任何人群中，有些人的表现都比其他人更好。这些人可以生存更长的时间或产生更多的后代。南极洲Erebus Bay的Weddell Seals提供了一个无与伦比的机会，可以研究动物的生理学，行为和遗传构成如何有助于终生的生殖成功，因为它们是长期人口监测研究的主题，并且在生殖季节中很容易获得。该项目将区分能量分配，生殖时机的关键差异以及女性Weddell海豹之间具有经常产生幼崽（“高质量”组）的历史的潜水能力，而与仅产生幼崽的女性相比，这些幼体仅产生了幼崽（“低质量”组）。对于每组女性，将分析护理期间的生理和行为，以评估投资是否影响其次年再现的可能性。将比较各组之间的整个基因组，以鉴定在长寿哺乳动物中控制生殖成功和种群稳定性的基本基因。该协作项目将为三个参与机构的几位本科生和研究生提供研究机会和培训。结果将通过演讲和同行评审的出版物广泛传播，并通过与博物馆节目，课程分配的科学课程和教学法培训的广泛公开宣传合作。并非所有个人都同等地为人口做出贡献。有些人比其他人能够产生更多的后代，因此被认为具有更高的质量。这项研究旨在区分哪些生理机制（能量动力学，有氧能力和生育能力）和潜在的遗传因素使某些Weddell密封女性在年复一年地产生幼崽时特别成功，而其他幼犬则少于人口平均水平。在这个项目中，一种有机体能量方法将通过跟踪哺乳成本，仲夏觅食成功和怀孕率以及越冬觅食模式和明年的活产，可以确定高质量女性和低质量女性之间如何平衡当前和未来生殖成功的关键差异。重复对个体的生理状态（身体组成，内分泌学，排卵和妊娠时间）的取样，将与全基因组测序研究配对。这项研究的第二个成分使用基因组来现象方法，以更好地了解高质量和低质量女性之间的遗传差异如何直接对应于转录，翻译和最终表型的功能差异。该组件将有助于Weddell密封基因组的功能分析和注释。结合起来，该项目将迈向区分塑性（生理，行为）和固定（遗传）因子在复杂的多方面性状中起作用的作用，例如长期寿命的野生哺乳动物。该项目与已建立的计划合作，以实施广泛的教育和外展活动，以确保向教育者，学生和公众进行广泛的传播。它将为粉红色宫殿博物馆的海洋哺乳动物展览做出贡献，极地科学教育者将参加南极洲的现场工作。 该奖项由Geo-Opp-Atarctic有机体和生态系统计划，生物ios-生理机制和生物力学计划以及启发竞争性研究（EPSCOR）的既定计划（EPSCOR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过评估了基金会的智力效果，并以评估人的智能效果进行了评估。