The Molecular Basis of Species-Specific Craniofacial Patterning in Avians

Abzhanov博士提出的这项研究跨越了传统研究的界限，因为它将图像进化系统之一--达尔文的雀类--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或“达尔文”雀的喙在大小和形状上的多样性。 比较了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（Bmp 4）的表达水平、表达范围和表达时间与喙的形态有关。 此外，当Bmp 4水平在鸡胚胎中实验性改变时，所产生的形态学模仿了达尔文雀，表明Bmp 4在颅面多样性中的重要作用。 由于Bmp 4调控的几个方面，结构和功能可能对颅面形态发生很重要，Abzhanov博士建议研究这个重要基因的进化。Abzhanov博士的分析将集中在鸡胚胎和达尔文雀的两个关键物种的颅面发育过程中Bmp 4的基因组调控上。Bmp 4调控的分析不仅对发育和进化生物学家有着广泛的兴趣，而且对更专业的科学家，如骨骼科学家和颅面生物学家也有着广泛的兴趣。这些研究有可能在基因调控水平上解释适应性形态变化和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。 本研究的结果将由PI，科学作家和理论家广泛传播，他们关注该领域的重要发展。 该项目之前的工作已经引起了大学教科书作者、高中教师和国际科学新闻杂志的关注。这项工作将鼓励一般科学和公众观众的头脑中进化和发展之间的联系。将这项工作与长期的进化，生态和保护研究达尔文的雀将提供机会，跨学科的研究互动和培训，在发育生物学，进化和实地研究的研究生和博士后研究员来自不同背景。Abzhanov博士定期雇用和培训来自厄瓜多尔的学生，这些前现场助理中有50%现在在美国攻读研究生。

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...