Collaborative Research: Chemical Communication in Marine Copepods

P.I.提案#：9503521 P.I.建议#：9505803项目摘要无脊椎动物繁殖的信息素调节影响海洋中的几个基本生态过程，例如，补充、繁殖力和种群增长率。化学交流在定位同种异种、识别潜在配偶和转移精子方面也是至关重要的。尽管这些化学信号具有进化意义，但人们对所使用的分子类型和歧视的基础知之甚少。本研究的主要目的是：1)确定海洋桡足类中负责配偶识别的一类化学物质(=糖蛋白)；2)调查它们在物种内和物种间的多态范围；3)研究它们在维持物种间生产性隔离中的作用。

P.I.. Snell, Terry W. Proposal #: 9503521 P.I.. Lonsdale, Darcy, L. Proposal #: 9505803 PROJECT ABSTRACT Pheromonal regulation of invertebrate reproduction influences several fundamental ecological processes in the sea, e.g., recruitment, fecundity, and population growth rate. Chemical communication is also crucial to locating conspecifics, recognizing potential mates, and transferring sperm. Despite the evolutionary significance of these chemical signals, little is known about the type of molecules employed and the basis for discrimination. The main objectives of this research are: 1)to identify one class of chemicals (=glycoproteins) responsible for mate recognition in marine copepods, 2) to investigate their range of polymorphism within and between species, and 3) to examine their role in the maintenance of productive isolation among species.