BRC-BIO: Evolutionary Patterns of Ice-Binding Proteins in North Pacific Intertidal Invertebrates

BRC-BIO：北太平洋潮间带无脊椎动物冰结合蛋白的进化模式

• 批准号: 2312378
• 负责人: Jessica Glass
• 金额: $ 49.85万
• 依托单位: University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2026-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2312378&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; Evolutionary; Patterns; Ice

Animals living in polar regions must survive freezing conditions for several months of the year. Freezing water, specifically ice crystals, can damage soft tissues and kill organisms that are not adapted to freezing conditions. Several species – from fish to beetles to bacteria – have developed physiological mechanisms to withstand freezing conditions, most notably by producing proteins that bind to ice, some of which are called ‘antifreeze’ proteins. Just as antifreeze solution in a car lowers the freezing point of water, antifreeze proteins protect organisms’ tissues from damaging ice crystals. Little is known about these proteins in marine invertebrates such as sea stars, which are important predators in intertidal habitats. Recent genetic evidence suggests sea stars may produce new forms of these proteins. This study will investigate the genetic mechanisms behind intertidal sea stars’ ability to produce proteins to survive in sub-freezing water in Alaska and how protein production varies by season and temperature. Understanding the function of these proteins and the environmental conditions that trigger their production will allow researchers to make predictions on how sea stars will adapt to extreme climatic events. The results from this work may aid the growing mariculture industry for invertebrates such as sea cucumbers and urchins, which are close relatives of sea stars. Furthermore, if sea stars produce novel proteins, their discovery may lead to innovations in biomedical cryopreservation and commercial agriculture. This project will create opportunities for undergraduates, particularly Alaska Natives, to learn professional skills in STEM through mentoring, research, workshops and professional development.Intertidal invertebrates in polar regions overcome unique environmental challenges compared to their pelagic (open water) and benthic (deep sea) counterparts, including large daily winter temperature fluctuations. Freezing conditions can lead to lethal cellular damage through the formation of ice crystals on soft tissues. Many cold-adapted ectothermic organisms have evolved mechanisms to prevent damage from cold by producing ice-binding proteins (IBPs). IBPs bind to ice crystal planes and have a variety of functions, from ice recrystallization and growth inhibition (antifreeze) to the controlled formation (nucleation) of ice. Recent evidence offers potential for discovering novel IBPs in marine invertebrates. The objective of this project is to describe the extent to which IBP production exists and is environmentally correlated across select lineages of intertidal invertebrates that primarily inhabit the Arctic and subarctic. The project will combine freezing assays with genome and transcriptome sequencing to characterize the evolution of IBPs in several lineages of intertidal invertebrates to determine ice-binding activity in one clade of intertidal invertebrates (Echinodermata) inhabiting the North Pacific, identify the class of IBPs and functional gene regions in two lineages of echinoderm sea stars predicted to exhibit ice-binding activity and cold tolerance, and quantify IBP production (gene expression) in sea stars across seasons and temperature gradients. The research will address a major gap in the field of cold-water adaptation by quantifying ice-binding activity in dozens of intertidal species.This project is jointly funded by the Directorate for the Biological Sciences 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.

生活在极地地区的动物必须在一年中的几个月的冰冻条件下生存，冰冻的水，特别是冰晶，会损害软组织并杀死不适应冰冻条件的生物体，从鱼类到甲虫再到细菌。抵御冰冻条件的生理机制，最显着的是通过产生与冰结合的蛋白质，其中一些被称为“防冻”蛋白质，就像汽车中的防冻液降低水的冰点一样，防冻蛋白可以保护生物体组织免受冰的破坏。小晶体。人们对海星等海洋无脊椎动物中的这些蛋白质已经了解，海星是潮间带栖息地的重要捕食者，最近的遗传证据表明，海星可能是这些蛋白质的新形式。这项研究将研究潮间带海星产生蛋白质的能力背后的遗传机制。了解这些蛋白质的功能以及触发其产生的环境条件将使研究人员能够预测海星如何适应极端气候事件。结果来自这项工作可能有助于发展海参和海胆等无脊椎动物的养殖业，这些无脊椎动物是海星的近亲。此外，如果海星有新的蛋白质，它们的发现可能会导致生物医​​学冷冻保存和商业农业的创新。为本科生（特别是阿拉斯加原住民）创造机会，通过指导、研究、研讨会和专业发展来学习 STEM 专业技能。与远洋地区相比，极地潮间带无脊椎动物克服了独特的环境挑战（开放水域）和底栖（深海）供体，包括冬季每日较大的温度波动，可能会通过在软组织上形成冰晶而导致致命的细胞损伤。许多适应寒冷的变温生物已经进化出防止损伤的机制。通过产生冰结合蛋白 (IBP) 与冰晶面结合并具有多种功能，从冰的再结晶和生长抑制（防冻）到冰的受控形成（成核）。该项目的目的是描述主要栖息于北极和亚北极的特定潮间带无脊椎动物谱系中 IBP 产生的程度及其与环境的相关性。基因组和转录组测序，以表征潮间带无脊椎动物的几个谱系中 IBP 的进化，以确定潮间带无脊椎动物的一个分支的冰结合活性（棘皮动物）居住在北太平洋，识别预计表现出冰结合活性和耐寒性的棘皮动物海星的两个谱系中的 IBP 类别和功能基因区域，并量化海星在不同季节和温度下的 IBP 产生（基因表达）该研究将通过量化数十种潮间带物种的冰结合活性来解决冷水适应领域的主要空白。该项目由生物科学理事会和既定计划联合资助。刺激竞争性研究 (EPSCoR)。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。