REU: Chemical and Structural Defenses of Caribbean Gorgonians: Pattern and Process Over Depth Clines

柳珊瑚的化学和结构防御 Briareum asbestinum在加勒比地区的不同地点之间存在差异 以及在单个位置处的深度之间。 高部位特异性 布里亚雷属植物次生萜类化合物的类型变异 石棉可能是环境诱发的。 哈维尔医生会 确定所观察到的化学变化和 布里亚雷姆的结构防御是遗传或环境 诱导的，以及是否由生物因子的选择引起。 Briareum的特点不仅是一个多样化的补充， briareins（化合物）在成年人的殖民地，但也很高 投资于卵母细胞、胚胎的化学防御， 幼虫，提供了机会，以调查个体发育的 生命周期中的化学防御 尽管十年来， 化学家对柳珊瑚生物活性化合物的研究， 研究已经探索了生活的定量或定性 周期 在项目的第一阶段，PI将（1） 浅层和深层的克隆复制 成年殖民地，以衡量遗传和环境组成部分， 防御，（2）确定胚胎自然死亡的来源， 幼虫阶段，和（3）量化开关的时间， 在菌落发育中主要briarein化合物的合成。 在 项目的第二阶段，她将（1）收集和分析 （生长和防御）成人移植，（2）建立 幼龄移植和选择实验，和（3） 调查briareins的适口性捕食者使用 用人造食物进行生物测定。

Chemical and structural defenses of the gorgonian coral Briareum asbestinum vary among different sites in the Caribbean and between depths at a single site. High site.specific variation in types of secondary terpenoid compounds of Briareum asbestinum may be environmentally induced. DR. Harvell will determine whether the observed variation in chemical and structural defenses of Briareum is genetic or environmentally induced and whether it is caused by selection by biotic agents. Briareum is distinguished not only by a diverse complement of briareins (compounds) in adult colonies, but also a high investment in chemical defense of the oocytes, embryos, and larvae, affording the opportunity to investigate the ontogeny of chemical defense in the life cycle. Despite a decade of intense research by chemists on bioactive compounds from gorgonians, no studies have explored quantitative or qualitative of the life cycle. In the first phase of the project the PI will (1) reciprocally transplant clonal replicates of shallow and deep adult colonies to measure genetic and environmental components of defense, (2) determine sources of natural mortality of embryo and larval stages, and (3) quantify the timing of switches in synthesis of major briarein compounds in colony development. In the second phase of the project she will (1) collect and analyze (growth and defenses) the adult transplant, (2) establish juvenile transplants and selection experiments, and (3) investigate the palatability of briareins to predators using bioassays with artificial foods.