IMAGINE: Adaptation of cyanobacterial light harvesting and metal homeostasis traits to environmental change.

想象一下：蓝藻光捕获和金属稳态特性对环境变化的适应。

• 批准号: 2029299
• 负责人: Brian Palenik
• 金额: $ 83.61万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2029299&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IMAGINE; Adaptation; cyanobacterial; light; harvesting; IMAGINE; Adaptation; cyanobacterial; light; harvesting

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms at the base of aquatic food webs. They occupy different types of environments from pristine ocean waters to high nutrient, sometimes metal-polluted bays. The investigators have found that one cyanobacterial species has transitioned from a marine environment into the San Diego Bay, which would require it to adapt to different conditions such as light quality and polluted waters. They will examine if specific genes in this cyanobacterium changed in response to the new environment or if the cyanobacterium picked up new genes from DNA in its environment to help it adapt to the San Diego Bay environment. Since the earth’s environment is changing rapidly, it is important to understand the mechanisms of how organisms such as cyanobacteria will change in response, and what might be the limits on their ability to adapt. The main goal of this research is to determine how cyanobacteria are able to adapt to different environments. In addition, the project will train a post-doctoral fellow and undergraduates in techniques in molecular ecology. The PIs also propose to develop, in collaboration with the Living Coast Discovery Center in south San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, a program for a Wildlife Day Camp focused on microbiology. Campers will discover how the San Diego Bay is filled with, and dependent on, the world of plankton, microbes, and other small species. This program will be unique in that students will have an opportunity to participate in sampling on the Bay and use microscopes to view photosynthetic microbes.Aquatic microbes can adapt and diversify to occupy new ecological niches. For cyanobacteria, the complex traits of light-harvesting and metal homeostasis are examples of traits that adapt to new environments with differences in light quality (color) or amounts of trace metals. Environmental sequence data show that a normally oligotrophic “species” of marine cyanobacteria, the Synechococcus clade II, has crossed over the coastal zone (dominated by other clades) and adapted to the conditions inside eutrophic San Diego Bay. This phenomenon is an ideal case study for understanding how microbial adaptation of complex traits occurs at the molecular level. Using isolates and single cell genomes of flow-sorted cells, the investigators will determine if positive selection has been operating on specific genes in the Synechococcus genome. In addition, Synechococcus clade II strains may also be acquiring novel genes in San Diego Bay through horizontal gene transfer. Gene knockouts/knockins will be used to test the functional advantage of specific genes. The PIs propose to develop, in collaboration with the Living Coast Discovery Center, located on San Diego Bay, a program for a Wildlife Day Camp focused on microbiology. Campers will discover how the San Diego Bay is filled with, and dependent on, microbes. This program will be unique in that students will have an opportunity to meet scientists, visit working labs, participate in sampling on the Bay and utilize light and epifluorescence microscopes to view microbes. The project will also train a post-doctoral fellow and undergraduates in techniques in molecular ecology and evolution.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.

蓝细菌是水生食物网基地的光合微生物。它们占据了不同类型的环境，从原始的海水到高营养，有时是金属污染的海湾。研究人员发现，一种蓝细菌物种已从海洋环境转变为圣地亚哥湾，这将要求它适应不同的条件，例如光质量和污染水。他们将检查这种蓝细菌中的特定基因是否会因新环境而发生变化，还是蓝藻在其环境中从DNA中拾取了新基因，以帮助其适应圣地亚哥湾环境。由于地球的环境正在迅速变化，因此重要的是要了解诸如蓝细菌等生物如何改变的机制，以及它们适应能力的限制可能是什么。这项研究的主要目的是确定蓝细菌如何能够适应不同的环境。此外，该项目将在分子生态学技术中培训博士后研究员和本科生。 PIS还建议与位于Chula Vista的南圣地亚哥湾的Living Coast Discovery Center合作开发，这是一个针对微生物学的野生动物日营的计划。露营者将发现圣地亚哥湾如何充满浮游生物，微生物和其他小物种的世界。该程序将是独一无二的，因为学生将有机会参加海湾上的抽样并使用显微镜观看光合微生物。对于蓝细菌，轻度收获和金属体内平衡的复杂特征是适应新环境的特征的例子，这些特征适应了新环境的光质量（颜色）差异（颜色）或痕量金属量。环境序列数据表明，海洋蓝细菌的正常贫营养性“物种”，即Synechococcus II，已越过沿海地区（由其他进化枝主导），并适应了富营养化的圣地亚哥湾内的条件。这种现象是理想的案例研究，用于了解复杂性状如何在分子水平上发生微生物的适应性。使用流程细胞的分离株和单细胞基因组，研究人员将确定阳性选择是否在综合基因组中的特定基因上进行。此外，Synechococcus II菌株还可以通过水平基因转移在圣地亚哥湾获得新基因。基因敲除/敲除素将用于测试特定基因的功能优势。 PIS提议与位于圣地亚哥湾的Living Coast Discovery Center合作开发，该中心是一项针对微生物学的野生动物日营的计划。露营者将发现圣地亚哥湾是如何充满微生物并取决于微生物的。该计划将是独一无二的，因为学生将有机会与科学家见面，参观工作实验室，参加海湾采样，并利用光线和落水显微镜观看微生物。该项目还将在分子生态学和进化技术方面培训博士后研究员和本科生。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和更广泛的影响评估标准评估来诚实地获得支持。