The Molecular Basis of Species-Specific Craniofacial Patterning in Avians

阿布扎诺夫博士提出的这项研究跨越了传统的研究界限，因为它将对图像进化系统之一达尔文雀的研究与发育和分子技术结合起来。脊椎动物的颅面特征通常显示出许多适应性的物种特异性特征。典型的例子是加拉帕戈斯群岛或“达尔文”雀的喙在大小和形状上的多样性。比较6种达尔文雀颅面发育过程中各种生长因子的表达模式发现，骨形态发生蛋白4 （Bone morphogenetic protein 4, Bmp4）的表达水平、程度和时间与喙的形态相关。此外，当实验改变鸡胚胎中的Bmp4水平时，产生的形态模仿了达尔文雀的形态，这表明Bmp4在颅面多样性中起着重要作用。由于Bmp4调控、结构和功能的几个方面可能对颅面形态发生很重要，Abzhanov博士建议研究这一重要基因的进化。Abzhanov博士将重点分析鸡胚胎颅面发育过程中Bmp4的基因组调控以及达尔文雀的两个关键物种。对Bmp4调控的分析不仅是发育和进化生物学家的普遍兴趣，也是骨骼科学家和颅面生物学家等更专业的科学家的普遍兴趣。这些研究有可能在基因调控水平上解释适应性形态变化与分子变化之间的关系，并将进化过程与发育机制联系起来。更好地理解进化论对美国的科学教育至关重要。这项研究的结果将由PI、科学作家和关注该领域重要发展的理论家广泛传播。该项目的前期工作已经引起了大学教科书编写者、高中教师和国际科学新闻杂志的关注。这项工作将在普通科学和公众的头脑中鼓励进化与发展之间的联系。这项工作与长期以来对达尔文雀的进化、生态和保护研究相结合，将为来自不同背景的研究生和博士后提供跨学科研究互动和发育生物学、进化和实地研究培训的机会。Abzhanov博士经常雇佣和培训来自厄瓜多尔的学生，其中50%的前现场助理现在正在美国攻读研究生。

The research proposed by Dr. Abzhanov crosses traditional research boundaries as it incorporates work on one of the iconographic evolutionary systems, Darwin's finches, with developmental and molecular techniques. Craniofacial features in vertebrates often display a number of adaptive species-specific characteristics. The classic example is the diversity in size and shape of the beaks of the Galapagos or "Darwin's" finches. Comparison of the expression patterns of various growth factors during craniofacial development in six species of "Darwin's" finches found that the level, extent and timing of expression of Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) correlated with beak morphology. In addition, when Bmp4 levels were experimentally altered in the chicken embryo the resulting morphologies mimicked that of Darwin's finches, suggesting an important role for Bmp4 in craniofacial diversity. As several aspects of Bmp4 regulation, structure and function may be important for craniofacial morphogenesis, Dr. Abzhanov proposes to examine the evolution of this important gene. Dr. Abzhanov's will focus his analyses on the genomic regulation of Bmp4 during craniofacial development in the chicken embryo and in two key species of Darwin's finches. Analysis of Bmp4 regulation is of great general interest not only to developmental and evolutionary biologists, but also to more specialized scientists such as bone scientists and craniofacial biologists. These studies have the potential to explain the relationship between adaptive morphological change and molecular changes at the level of gene regulation and link evolutionary processes with developmental mechanisms. A better understanding of evolution is critical to science education in the U.S.. Results of this study will be broadly disseminated by the PI, science writers and theoreticians who follow important developments in the field. Previous work on this project has already attracted attention from college textbook writers, high school teachers, and international science news magazines. This work will encourage the link between evolution and development in the minds of general scientific and public audience.Integration of this work with long-standing evolutionary, ecological and conservation studies on Darwin's finches will provide opportunity for interdisciplinary research interactions and training in developmental biology, evolution and field studies for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Abzhanov regularly employs and trains students from Ecuador and 50% of these former field assistants are now pursuing their graduate careers in the U.S...