Sensory Mechanisms of Chemical Defenses

化学防御的感觉机制

• 批准号: 0614685
• 负责人: Charles Derby
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-15 至 2010-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0614685&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Sensory; Mechanisms; Chemical; Defenses

The objective of this project is to understand sensory mechanisms allowing animals to chemically defend themselves against predators. Although much is known about chemical defenses in predator-prey interactions, studies of sensory mechanisms are rare. This proposal asks, how does a single prey species defend itself against a diversity of predator species whose behavior and sensory systems are highly divergent? The research will have impact because it will explain sensory mechanisms of chemical defense, from the behavioral to the molecular level. The proposal will combine the use of two model systems. The Aplysia sea hare serves as a model of neuroscience and chemical defenses. The sea hare predators are the spiny lobster and sea catfish that serve as models in chemosensory neurobiology and behavior involving predators. This proposal builds on work where novel mechanisms of chemical defense and new candidate defensive molecules were identified from the ink and opaline defensive secretions of sea hares. The proposal has four objectives: 1) Determine the sensory mechanisms of feeding aversive compounds in the opaline secretion of sea hares against spiny lobsters; 2) Determine the role of 'escapin', an L-amino oxide oxidase in sea hare ink and with antimicrobial activity; 3) Determine the ubiquity of phagomimicry and sensory disruption; and 4) Determine the molecular nature of the alarm cues in ink and opaline of sea hares - chemicals that cause sea hares to avoid ink from conspecifics. The broader impact of the proposal is to promote teaching and training of students through the participation of underrepresented groups in these research projects. In addition, the project will provide outreach and public dissemination of information; deepen the relationship between those at GSU and the Georgia Aquarium; continue development of technologies associated with the patent on escapin; and enhance the infrastructure for research and education at GSU; and stiumlate activity with the NSF National Science and Technology Centerfor Behavioral Neuroscience.

该项目的目的是了解感官机制，使动物能够化学保护自己免受捕食者的侵害。虽然我们对捕食者-猎物相互作用中的化学防御了解很多，但对感觉机制的研究却很少。 这个提议提出的问题是，一个单一的猎物物种如何保护自己免受行为和感觉系统高度不同的捕食者物种的多样性？ 这项研究将产生影响，因为它将解释从行为到分子水平的化学防御的感觉机制。 该提案将联合收割机结合使用两种模型系统。 非洲海兔是神经科学和化学防御的典范。 海兔的捕食者是多刺龙虾和海鲶鱼，它们是化学感觉神经生物学和捕食者行为的模型。这项提议建立在从海兔的墨水和乳白色防御分泌物中鉴定出化学防御新机制和新候选防御分子的工作基础上。 该提案有四个目标：1）确定在海兔对多刺龙虾的乳白色分泌物中喂食厌恶化合物的感觉机制; 2）确定'逃避素'的作用，'逃避素'是海兔墨水中的L-氨基氧化物氧化酶，具有抗菌活性; 3）确定噬菌拟态和感觉破坏的普遍性;和4）确定海兔的墨水和乳白色中警报线索的分子性质--导致海兔避开同种墨水的化学物质。该提案的更广泛影响是通过代表性不足的群体参与这些研究项目来促进对学生的教学和培训。 此外，该项目还将提供信息的外展和公开传播;加深佐治亚州立大学与格鲁吉亚水族馆之间的关系;继续开发与逃逸蛋白专利相关的技术;加强佐治亚州立大学的研究和教育基础设施;并与美国国家科学基金会行为神经科学国家科学和技术中心一起开展活动。