CAREER: Physiological genomics of sexually dimorphic developmental plasticity on butterfly wings

职业：蝴蝶翅膀两性二态性发育可塑性的生理基因组学

基本信息

批准号：
2143339
负责人：
Brian Counterman
金额：
$ 156.56万
依托单位：
Auburn University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2022
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2022-02-15 至 2027-01-31
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2143339&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
CAREER Physiological genomics sexually dimorphic

项目摘要

This award is funded in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Seasonal changes of the colors on butterfly wings are perhaps the most exquisite illustration of how the environment can influence an organism’s development. Understanding how a change in the seasons triggers a cascade of complex changes inside a caterpillar that weeks or months later results in drastic changes in the butterfly’s wing color has boggled people’s minds for centuries. The research of this project aims to fill this gap in our understanding using an integrative approach to track the changes in wing development and, importantly, test how such changes impact the butterfly’s future mating success. The results will offer a detailed picture of the fundamental processes involved when an environmental trigger causes changes in organismal development. The educational plan of this project leverages the charismatic nature of butterflies and tractability of seasonal plasticity to establish an outreach program that aims to increase interest and participation in the sciences of rural middle school teachers and students. Through a series of organized events, middle school students will develop their own research projects that they will complete throughout the year. The experiences aim to positively alter the science education environment for all involved, which could have life-long impacts on their appreciation of science, much like the life-long impacts developmental environments can have on an organism.The aim of this project is to study the genomic changes involved in seasonal plasticity and genetic assimilation of a sexually dimorphic trait: butterfly wing color patterns. The project further aims to test how plasticity and assimilation of secondary sexual traits that influence adaptation and speciation, such as butterfly wing patterns, impact organismal mating success. Counterman will combine genome sequencing, genetic mapping, gene expression, DNA accessibility, and CRISPR-based gene editing approaches to characterize the genetic changes involved in plasticity and assimilation. These experiments will be complemented with mate preference trials to assay how the plastic wing patterns impact mating success and may be a target of sexual selection. Equally important, the project aims to establish an education and outreach program that trains and empowers middle school teachers and students to develop hypothesis-driven research projects they can pursue inside and outside of the classroom. Collectively, this project reflects a major effort to (i) fill important gaps in our understanding of the genetic mechanisms involved in plasticity and assimilation, (ii) provide an example of a genotype-to-phenotype connection that extends from DNA to whole organism, and (iii) train teachers and students in conducting biological research that has long-lasting impacts on views and interests in STEM for future generations.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.

该奖项是根据2021年《美国救援计划法》（公法117-2）部分资助的。蝴蝶翅膀上的颜色变化可能是环境如何影响生物体发展的最独特的例证。了解季节的变化是如何触发毛毛虫内部的一系列复杂变化的，几周或几个月后，蝴蝶翼颜色的巨大变化使人们的思想陷入困境已有几个世纪了。该项目的研究旨在使用一种集成的方法来跟踪机翼发展的变化，并重要地测试这种变化如何影响蝴蝶的未来交配成功。结果将为环境触发导致有机开发变化时所涉及的基本过程提供详细的图片。该项目的教育计划利用了蝴蝶的魅力性和季节性可塑性的障碍，以建立一项外展计划，旨在增加兴趣并参与艰难的中学教师和学生的科学。通过一系列有组织的活动，中学生将制定自己的研究项目，这些项目将全年完成。这一经验旨在积极改变有关所有参与的科学教育环境，这可能会对他们对科学的欣赏产生终生的影响，就像发育环境对组织所产生的长期影响一样。该项目的目的是研究季节性可塑性和遗传同化的基因组变化，对性别的性质二重性特质：蝴蝶翅膀的圆形颜色。该项目进一步旨在测试影响适应和规格的次要性特征的可塑性和同化，例如蝴蝶翼模式，影响有机交配的成功。 Counterman将结合基因组测序，遗传图，基因表达，DNA可及性和基于CRISPR的基因编辑方法，以表征可塑性和同化的遗传变化。这些实验将通过配偶偏好试验完成，以测定塑料机翼模式如何影响交配成功，并可能是性选择的目标。同样重要的是，该项目旨在建立一项教育和外展计划，培训和授权中学教师和学生开发他们可以在课堂内外进行假设驱动的研究项目。总的来说，该项目反映了（i）在对可塑性和同化涉及的遗传机制的理解中填补重要空白的主要努力，（ii）提供了一个基因型到表型连接的示例，从DNA到整个生物体，（III）培训教师和学生在对生物统计学中的培训和学生进行了长期兴趣和学生的兴趣，并延长了未来的观点和学生的兴趣。通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的审查标准评估，通过评估来诚实地支持。