Research Starter Grant

研究启动补助金

• 批准号: 0608636
• 负责人: Kenneth Fedorka
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-01-15 至 2007-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0608636&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Research; Starter; Grant

In many species, females exhibit a localized immune response to male seminal proteins that helps defend against sexually transmitted diseases passed by the male. However, this immune response may also kill sperm. Therefore, in species where females mate with multiple males, the females immune response may reduce a males reproductive potential by limiting the number of sperm available for insemination. Preliminary work in several animal systems has suggested that males pass proteins along with their sperm that enhance sperm survival by inhibiting an effective immune response. As a consequence, females may experience a higher risk of pathogenic infection with each mating, leading to a conflict of interest between the sexes over the females immune response to insemination. The main focus of this proposal is to investigate the role this antagonistic relationship between the sexes plays in (1) the evolution of reproductive and immunological proteins and (2) speciation. With regard to the first objective, male reproductive success will be assessed when they are mated with immune suppressed females in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (e.g. more viable sperm are stored in the immune suppressed females reproductive tract). The proposal will also investigate which female immune pathways are being compromised, as well as which male proteins are involved in immune suppression. The second objective will examine the potential for the sexually antagonistic relationship to maintain species boundaries among several hybridizing species of crickets in the genus Allonemobius. In short, the objectives outlined in this proposal will elucidate the potential for sexual antagonism to contribute to the evolution of immunity and reproduction, and how the co-evolution between these systems contributes to speciation. The proposed research will involve an educational outreach program in local K-12 classrooms and will involve undergraduate and graduate students from various ethnic backgrounds. Research results will be disseminated in the scientific literature as well as in more popular media and through a public access website.

在许多物种中，雌性对雄性精液蛋白表现出局部免疫反应，帮助抵御雄性传播的性传播疾病。然而，这种免疫反应也可能杀死精子。因此，在雌性与多个雄性交配的物种中，雌性的免疫反应可能会通过限制可用于授精的精子数量来降低雄性的生殖潜力。在一些动物系统中进行的初步研究表明，雄性通过精子传递蛋白质，通过抑制有效的免疫反应来提高精子的存活率。因此，雌性在每次交配时可能会经历更高的致病感染风险，导致两性之间在雌性对授精的免疫反应方面的利益冲突。本研究的主要重点是研究两性之间的这种对抗关系在(1)生殖和免疫蛋白的进化和(2)物种形成中所起的作用。关于第一个目标，当雄性果蝇与免疫抑制的雌性果蝇交配时，将评估它们的生殖成功率（例如，在免疫抑制的雌性生殖道中储存了更多有活力的精子）。该提案还将调查哪些女性免疫途径受到损害，以及哪些男性蛋白质参与免疫抑制。第二个目标是研究在异蚊属的几种杂交蟋蟀中，两性对抗关系维持物种界限的可能性。简而言之，本提案中概述的目标将阐明性对抗对免疫和生殖进化的潜在贡献，以及这些系统之间的共同进化如何促进物种形成。拟议的研究将包括在当地K-12教室开展教育推广计划，并将涉及来自不同种族背景的本科生和研究生。研究结果将在科学文献中以及在更受欢迎的媒体上和通过一个公众访问网站传播。