Collaborative Research: Evolutionary reversals in hormonal modulation of growth-regulatory gene networks

合作研究：生长调节基因网络激素调节的进化逆转

• 批准号: 2024064
• 负责人: Christian Cox
• 金额: $ 30.48万
• 依托单位: Florida International University
• 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: 2019-12-26 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2024064&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Evolutionary; reversals; hormonal

The hormone testosterone is classically viewed as a promoter of growth, but this generalization is based on model species in medicine, agriculture, and aquaculture. In most of these model species, males also happen to be larger than females. However, in several lizard species in which females are larger, testosterone inhibits growth. This raises the intriguing possibility that, far from being hard-wired, the effects of testosterone (and other hormones) on growth and other processes may change considerably during evolution. This project will test for such "evolutionary reversals" in the hormonal regulation of growth across lizard species. These species have been selected to span repeated evolutionary shifts between those in which males are larger and those in which females are larger. By simultaneously characterizing the effects of testosterone on the expression of thousands of genes, this project will also determine how such "evolutionary reversals" in the hormonal regulation of growth are accomplished at the genetic level. The results of this collaborative study will broaden understanding of the endocrine system. It may also challenge generalizations derived from traditional animal models by investigating how closely related species evolve different responses to the same hormone. The project will also contribute to filling national teaching needs and will involve high school teachers in research experiences in an intensive summer program. Research training opportunities are being provided for a post-doctoral fellow, a PhD and an MS graduate student, and two undergraduate students.This Collaborative project addresses an issue of current debate in comparative endocrinology: whether the highly conserved vertebrate endocrine system tends to constrain adaptation, or whether key evolutionary changes in the coupling of hormones to gene networks instead facilitate rapid evolution. This project will combine hormone manipulations and high-throughput RNA sequencing aimed at (1) characterizing how the expression of growth-regulatory gene networks differs with respect to age, tissue, and hormone treatment using detailed experiments on three focal lizard species, (2) testing for evolutionary reversals in the hormonal regulation of growth and gene expression by extending these methods to a broader, phylogenetically informed sampling of related lizard species with variable patterns of sexual dimorphism in body size (male-larger or female-larger), and (3) characterizing rates of sequence evolution for thousands of expressed genes to test whether the specificity of expression that is achieved by hormonal regulation also frees coding sequences themselves to evolve more quickly. This research will support development of the recently sequenced genome of the Eastern Fence Lizard as an emerging resource for the fields of comparative endocrinology and evolutionary genetics. This project enhances the professional development of science educators through Teacher Workshops and Teacher Fellowships administered through an ongoing education program, which fosters teacher-scientist collaboration and authentic scientific discovery in the K-12 classroom. In addition, research training opportunities and funding are provided for a post-doctoral fellow, a PhD student, a MS student, and for two undergraduates each year.This award is co-funded by the Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, the Evolutionary Processes Program in the Division of Environmental Biology, and the Rules of Life Venture Fund of the Emerging Frontiers Program in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.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.

基于医学，农业和水产养殖中的模型物种，该激素睾丸激素通常被视为生长的启动子。在大多数这些模型物种中，男性也恰好比女性大。但是，在几种女性较大的蜥蜴物种中，睾丸激素会抑制生长。这提出了一种有趣的可能性，即睾丸激素（和其他激素）对生长和其他过程的影响远非如此，在进化过程中可能会发生很大变化。该项目将在蜥蜴物种生长的激素调节中测试这种“进化逆转”。 这些物种已被选择以跨越男性更大的男性和女性更大的物种的重复进化转移。通过同时表征睾丸激素对数千个基因表达的影响，该项目还将决定如何在遗传水平上完成生长的激素调节中这种“进化逆转”。这项协作研究的结果将扩大对内分泌系统的了解。 它还可能通过研究如何与相关物种进化对同一激素的不同反应来挑战传统动物模型的概括。该项目还将有助于满足国家教学需求，并将高中教师参与一个密集的夏季计划。 Research training opportunities are being provided for a post-doctoral fellow, a PhD and an MS graduate student, and two undergraduate students.This Collaborative project addresses an issue of current debate in comparative endocrinology: whether the highly conserved vertebrate endocrine system tends to constrain adaptation, or whether key evolutionary changes in the coupling of hormones to gene networks instead facilitate rapid evolution.该项目将结合针对（1）表征（1）表征生长调节基因网络的表达如何相对于年龄，组织和激素治疗的表达如何不同的激素操纵和高通量RNA测序，该方法是在三个局部lizard物种上的详细实验的不同，（2）（2）通过在范围内进行跨度逆转的范围，以这些方法的范围进行了范围，以这些方法的范围进行了范围，这些方法是通过范围的范围来表达的，这些方法是通过范围的范围来进行的。对具有性二态性模式的相关蜥蜴物种在体型（男性或雌性或雌性）中的变化模式，以及（3）表征数千个表达基因的序列演化速率，以测试通过激素调节所实现的表达的特异性是否也释放了编码序列，以更快地进化。这项研究将支持东部栅栏蜥蜴最近测序的基因组的发展，作为比较内分泌学和进化遗传学领域的新兴资源。该项目通过持续的教育计划通过教师研讨会和教师奖学金来增强科学教育工作者的专业发展，该计划促进了教师科学家的合作和K-12教室中的真实科学发现。此外，为博士后研究员，博士生，MS学生以及每年的两个本科生提供研究培训机会和资金。该奖项由综合有机体系统的生理机制和生物力学计划共同资助，在整合有机体系统划分中，在环境生物学范围内，在生物学范围内的进化过程中，为生物学概述而言，这是现实的生物学概况，这些奖项是为生物学概述的生物学概述而设计的。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准评估值得支持。

项目成果

Species differences in hormonally mediated gene expression underlie the evolutionary loss of sexually dimorphic coloration in Sceloporus lizards

激素介导的基因表达的物种差异是剑孔蜥蜴两性二态性颜色进化丧失的基础

• DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad046
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Heredity
• 影响因子: 3.1
• 作者: Robinson, Christopher D.;Hale, Matthew D.;Wittman, Tyler N.;Cox, Christian L.;John-Alder, Henry B.;Cox, Robert M.;Bronikowski, ed., Anne
• 通讯作者: Bronikowski, ed., Anne

Evolution of hormone-phenotype couplings and hormone-genome interactions

• DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105216
• 发表时间: 2022-06-28
• 期刊: HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
• 影响因子: 3.5
• 作者: Cox，Robert M.;Hale，Matthew D.;Cox，Christian L.
• 通讯作者: Cox，Christian L.