CAA: The Evolution of Sequestration in Insects: Biochemistry in an Evolutionary Context

一个多世纪以来，一些昆虫物种利用从寄主植物获得的化合物来防御自身捕食者的能力一直令生物学家着迷。然而，人们对只有少数物种能够储存这些化合物的生化机制知之甚少。鲍尔斯博士将使用DNA测序来确定一组蝴蝶之间的进化关系，这些蝴蝶中有能够储存有毒化合物的物种、环烯醚苷类化合物和不能储存有毒化合物的物种。然后，这一系统发育将被用来研究这一昆虫群体中寄主植物使用模式的进化，以及使一些物种能够储存这些化合物的生化机制的进化。这项研究的结果将为研究昆虫不适口性的进化提供一个系统发育框架。鲍尔斯博士将把今年学到的技术应用于她未来研究的许多方面，以及她对学生进行的进化生态学培训。了解昆虫处理寄主植物中遇到的化合物的机制，也可能有助于我们理解昆虫如何处理杀虫剂和除草剂等化合物，这些化合物最近已成为其环境的一部分。

The ability of a few insect species to use chemical compounds acquired from their host plants to defend themselves against their own predators, has fascinated biologists for over a century. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the biochemical mechanisms that enable only a few species to store these compounds. Dr. Bowers will use DNA sequencing to determine the evolutionary relationships among a group of butterflies which has species that can store toxic compounds, iridoid glycosides, and species that cannot. This phylogeny will then be used to examine the evolution of hostplant use patterns in this insect group and the evolution of the biochemical mechanisms enabling some species to store these compounds. The results of this research will provide a phylogenetic framework in which to examine the evolution of unpalatability in insects. Dr. Bowers will apply the techniques learned during this year to many aspects of her future research and her training of students in evolutionary ecology. Understanding the mechanisms that enable insects to cope with chemical compounds they encounter in their hostplants may also inform our understanding of how insects cope with chemical compounds, such as pesticides and herbicides, that have more recently become a part of their environment.