From Model Organism to Model Clade: Plasticity and Evolution of Interorgan Communication Networks

从模式生物到模式进化枝：器官间通讯网络的可塑性和进化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-04399
• 负责人: Rajakumar, Rajendhran
• 金额: $ 2.99万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=745587
• 关键词: Model; Organism; Clade; Plasticity; Evolution

Developmental and physiological variation observed in nature, is not the result of differences in genes alone. A wealth of data now demonstrates that genes and the environment (nutrition, carcinogens) together generate this variation. Ants are an emerging model to investigate how environmental variation influences gene function. Ants are highly plastic: during development, the same set of genes can give rise to an array of alternative phenotypes through environmental cues and hormonal regulation. This generates dramatic differences between individuals of different castes, ranging from differences in morphology, reproduction, and longevity. For example, environmental variation can generate a small reproductively sterile worker that lives for a few months or a massive hyper-reproductive queen that can live up to 50 years. From insects to mammals, to ensure that physiological status reflects the dynamic conditions of the environment, developing and adult organs have evolved signals (ex. small peptides, hormones, and miRNAs) that comprise an interorgan communication network. The research goal of my laboratory is to investigate the molecular signals coordinating the intercommunication of organs during both development and adulthood, which are critical for generating caste-specific variation. In parallel to this work, my laboratory will investigate these signals in mechanistic detail using the genetic model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Collectively by leveraging both emerging and model organisms, my laboratory will generate and tackle novel questions of fundamental biological importance with high-resolution mechanistic detail. In particular, we set out address the following three short-term objectives/questions: (1) During development, how do caste-specific hormonal differences influence the regulation of organ growth and morphogenesis, and subsequently how does this lead to caste differences in signals secreted by developing organs? (2) During adulthood, how do dramatic differences in reproductive capacity between queens and workers impact the functionality of, and signaling between, various non-reproductive organs? (3) During evolution, how have these divergent developmental and adult caste trajectories originated, enabling the vast diversity of morphological and physiological traits observed across ants. Our approach is highly integrative combining fieldwork, phylogenetics, functional genomics, transcriptomics, developmental genetics, cell and tissue culture, and advanced microscopy techniques. We also integrate various biological levels spanning from gene networks and cells, to individuals and societies, and will synergize a robust comparative multispecies `Model Clade' approach (ants) with a high-resolution mechanistic model organism approach (flies). Altogether, it will advance our knowledge of how interorgan signaling mediates the response of an organism in a changing environment in the context of development, physiology, and evolution.

在自然界观察到的发育和生理变异并不是基因差异的结果。现在，大量数据表明基因与环境（营养，致癌物）共同产生这种变化。蚂蚁是研究环境变异如何影响基因功能的新兴模型。蚂蚁是高度塑性的：在发育过程中，相同的基因可以通过环境线索和荷尔蒙调节引起一系列替代表型。这会在不同种姓的个体之间产生巨大的差异，范围从形态学，繁殖和寿命的差异。例如，环境变化可以产生一个小的生殖无菌工人，该工人生活了几个月，或者是一个可以寿命长达50年的大型超生产皇后。从昆虫到哺乳动物，以确保生理状态反映环境的动态条件，发展和成年器官的发展信号（例如，小肽，激素和miRNA），包括构成互通信网络的信号。我实验室的研究目标是研究在发育和成年期间协调器官间交流的分子信号，这对于产生种姓特定的变异至关重要。与这项工作并行，我的实验室将使用遗传模型果蝇果蝇Melanogaster进行机械细节研究这些信号。通过利用新兴生物和模型生物，我的实验室将通过高分辨率机械细节产生和解决有关基本生物学重要性的新问题。特别是，我们介绍了以下三个短期目标/问题：（1）在开发过程中，种姓特定的激素差异如何影响器官生长和形态发生的调节，随后这如何导致开发器官分泌的信号的种姓差异？ （2）在成年期，皇后和工人之间生殖能力的显着差异如何影响各种非生殖器官的功能和信号？ （3）在进化过程中，这些不同的发展和成人种姓轨迹如何产生，从而使蚂蚁之间观察到的形态和生理特征的大量多样性。我们的方法是高度整合的野外作业，系统发育，功能基因组学，转录组学，发育遗传学，细胞和组织培养以及晚期显微镜技术。我们还将跨越基因网络和细胞的各种生物学水平与个体和社会整合在一起，并将与高分辨率的机械模型生物体方法（FLIES）协同性强大的比较多物种“模型进化枝”方法（ANT）。总的来说，它将提高我们对跨组织信号传导如何在不断变化的环境中介导生物体在发展，生理和进化的环境中的反应的知识。