Collaborative Research: Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Repeated Evolution: Integrating Micro- and Macroevolutionary Analyses and Functional Genomics

合作研究：重复进化的分子机制：整合微观和宏观进化分析和功能基因组学

• 批准号: 2316783
• 负责人: Suzanne McGaugh
• 金额: $ 101.05万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 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: 2023-09-01 至 2027-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2316783&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Molecular; Mechanisms; Underlying

Plants and animals have adapted to survive in a variety of extreme environments, and understanding these adaptations has the potential to aid in developing strategies to better withstand a changing environment. Despite their importance, much is left to be learned about the genes responsible for adaptations to extreme environments. This project investigates the genetic changes that are responsible for allowing animals to live in extreme environments. Cave environments provide natural laboratories to study how organisms can live without abundant food sources and in constant darkness. Cave animals have undergone shifts in their metabolism, sleep patterns, and sensory systems and can inform the understanding of these basic biological processes. This research will find commonalities in how organisms respond to extreme cave environments and asks specifically if some parts of the genome contribute to adaptation more so than other parts and if so, why those parts of the genome are unique. In addition, this work provides opportunities for international collaborations and for training the next generation of scientists in the classroom, in the laboratory, and across the world through interactive and virtual experiences. Over 200 species of bony fish have adapted to live in cave environments, representing an unparalleled opportunity for comparative biology to uncover the genetic basis of dramatic trait shifts. Through using cutting-edge third-generation sequencing and newly developed population and comparative genomic analysis methods, this work will identify genetic variations associated with cave-derived traits within three species of cavefish that have close surface relatives: the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), the cave Molly (Poecilia mexicana) and the Brazilian catfish (Aspidoras mephisto) to determine if the same genes and genetic changes underlie repeated evolution of cave adaptations. Genomic analyses across the teleost tree of life will also be performed to find common genetic changes across cave-adapted groups. By comparing both within and between species, this project will identify if mutational bias and mutational opportunity predispose regions of the genome to contribute to phenotypic change. Functional genomic tests using CRISPR-Cas9 will be employed to validate genetic changes found in cave species and test the impact of mutations on phenotypes.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.

动植物已经适应了在各种极端环境中生存的，并且了解这些适应有可能帮助制定策略以更好地承受不断变化的环境。尽管它们的重要性，但仍有很多关于调整极端环境的基因的知识。该项目调查了负责允许动物生活在极端环境中的遗传变化。洞穴环境提供了自然实验室，以研究生物在没有丰富食物来源和持续黑暗的情况下如何生活。洞穴动物的新陈代谢，睡眠模式和感觉系统发生了变化，可以告知对这些基本生物学过程的理解。这项研究将发现生物如何对极端洞穴环境反应的共同点，并特别询问基因组的某些部分是否比其他部位更有助于适应，如果是这样，为什么基因组的那些部分是独一无二的。此外，这项工作为国际合作以及通过互动和虚拟体验在课堂，实验室和世界范围内培训下一代科学家提供了机会。 超过200种骨鱼适应生活在洞穴环境中，代表了比较生物学的无与伦比的机会，可以揭示出戏剧性性状转移的遗传基础。通过使用尖端的第三代测序和新成长的人群和比较基因组分析方法，这项工作将确定与具有紧密表面亲属的三种洞穴鱼类内的洞穴衍生性状相关的遗传变异：墨西哥tetra（astyanax墨西哥），墨西哥墨西哥群岛和cave Molly（同一墨西哥人）（墨西哥人）（ASP Fisherian generes）（ASPIDEF）（ASPIDEF）遗传变化是洞穴适应反复演变的基础。还将进行跨洞穴群体的基因组分析，以在适应洞穴的群体之间找到常见的遗传变化。通过比较物种内部和物种之间的比较，该项目将确定基因组的突变偏差和突变机会易感性区域有助于表型变化。使用CRISPR-CAS9的功能性基因组检验将用于验证洞穴物种中发现的遗传变化并测试突变对表型的影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响标准通过评估来支持。