Deciphering Mechanisms of Speciation Among Host-Symbiont Populations

鱿鱼（软体动物：头足纲）和它们的发光细菌共生体（弧菌属）之间的共生关系为研究种群生物学和动物-细菌伙伴关系中的物种形成提供了一个通用的模型系统。虽然鱿鱼的光器官对海水开放，但只有两种弧菌留在器官内，表明适应和进化的特异性。使用最先进的技术，包括荧光显微镜、分子生物学和基因表达，该项目将研究环境过程或鱿鱼宿主是否决定了这些相互作用的结构。这项研究的核心将是确定鱿鱼-弧菌对在地理上孤立的种群中有多大的不同。该提案的一个关键要素是Nishiguchi实验室为这项工作建立的若干国际合作努力。这项建议的结果将（通过出版物、会议、网站、课程）与研究和公共社区共享。这项研究将为学生提供独特的研究机会，以新墨西哥州立大学（New Mexico State University）的少数族裔项目为基础。新密西根州立大学是唯一一所被美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）评为为两个少数民族学生群体——西班牙裔和印第安人——提供大量服务的卡内基I研究机构。这项研究将有助于更好地理解细菌-动物关系的物种形成和进化，并提供有关细菌在环境中传播的信息。

The mutualistic association between sepiolid squids (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) and their luminous bacterial symbionts (Genus Vibrio) provides a versatile model system to study population biology and speciation among animal-bacterial partnerships. Although the squid light organs are open to the seawater, only two Vibrio species stay inside the organ, indicating adaptation and evolution of specificity. Using state-of-the-art techniques involving fluorescent microscopy, molecular biology, and gene expression, this project will examine whether environmental processes or the squid hosts determine the architecture of these interactions. Central to this study will be determining how different the squid-Vibrio pairs are among geographically isolated populations. A key element of this proposal is the several international and collaborative efforts that have been established by the Nishiguchi laboratory for this work. Results from this proposal will be shared (through publications, meetings, web sites, courses) with both the research and public communities. This study will provide unique research opportunities for students, building on programs for under-represented minorities at New Mexico State University. NMSU is the only Carnegie I research institution ranked by the National Science Foundation as one that serves significant numbers of two ethnic minority student populations, Hispanics and Native Americans. This research will lead to a better understanding of speciation and evolution of bacterial-animal relationships and provide information about the transmission of bacteria in the environment.