NSF-CGP Fellowship: Endocrine Regulation of Seasonal Polymorphisms in Japanese Butterflies

9819949 Rountree该奖项提供资金，支持路易斯维尔大学生物系Dorothy B.Rountree博士与东京大学应用生物化学系Shin-Ichiro Takahashi博士和日本山口大学生物研究所的Katsuhiko Endo博士就蝴蝶物种的季节性多态进行为期三个月的研究访问。他们的研究目标是开发一种新的、综合的模型来调节这些蝴蝶物种的季节性多态。许多蝴蝶物种根据季节的不同表现出不同的翅膀颜色或形态。发育生物学家感兴趣的是对交替季节表型的控制，因为外部环境线索，特别是光周期，会被昆虫改变为改变内部发育途径的激素信号。两种不同的激素调节蝴蝶的季节性多态：神经肽夏季形态产生激素(SMPH)和类固醇蜕皮激素(蜕皮激素)。直到最近，人们认为蝴蝶使用一种或另一种激素来决定发育哪种表型，但在蜕皮激素调节的蝴蝶中发现了SMPH，而蜕皮类固醇可以改变SMPH调节的蝴蝶的表型。因此，需要创建一种新的、综合的季节性多态内分泌调节模型。在这个项目中，SMPH影响蜕皮激素受体复合体蛋白的假设将在SMPH调节的日本蝴蝶Polygania c-aureum(亚洲逗号)中进行测试。拟议中的部分研究将在日本山口大学与发现SMPH的远藤博士合作进行，另一部分将在东京大学高桥博士的实验室进行，他在脊椎动物细胞上开发的技术将用于昆虫多肽信号系统。这项研究将是互惠互利的，因为首席研究员在研究蜕皮类固醇核受体复合体中不同分子形式的蛋白质方面具有专业知识。该项目由国家科学基金会和日本基金会全球伙伴关系中心之间的科学奖学金计划资助。*

9819949RountreeThis award provides funds to support two three-month research visits by Dr. Dorothy B. Rountree, Department of Biology, University of Louisville, for collaboration with Dr. Shin-Ichiro Takahashi, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, University of Tokyo, and Dr. Katsuhiko Endo, Biological Institute, Yamaguchi University, Japan, on seasonal polymorphism in butterfly species. A goal of their research is developing a new, integrative model for endocrine regulation of seasonal polymorphism in these butterfly species.Many butterfly species show different wing coloration or morphology depending on the season. The control of alternative seasonal phenotypes is interesting to developmental biologists, because external environmental cues, especially photoperiod, are changed by the insect into hormonal signals that alter internal developmental pathways. Two different kinds of hormones regulate butterfly seasonal polymorphisms: the neuropeptide Summer Morph Producing Hormone (SMPH) and the steroid molting hormones (ecdysteroids). Until recently, butterflies were thought to use either one hormone or the other to determine which phenotype to develop, but SMPH has been found in ecdysteroid-regulated butterflies and ecdysteroids can change phenotype in SMPH-regulated butterflies. Thus, the need for creating a new, integrative model for endocrine regulation of seasonal polymorphisms. In this project, the hypothesis that SMPH influences ecdysteroid receptor complex proteins will be tested in an SMPH-regulated Japanese butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum (the Asian comma). Part of the proposed research will take place at Yamaguchi University, Japan, in collaboration with Dr. Endo, who discovered SMPH, while another part will be conducted at Tokyo University, in the laboratory of Dr. Takahashi, whose techniques developed on vertebrate cells will be used on an insect peptide signaling system. This research will be mutually beneficial because of the principal investigator's expertise in the study of the different molecular forms of proteins in the ecdysteroid nuclear receptor complex. This project is supported under the Science Fellowship Program between the National Science Foundation and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.***