Collaborative Research: Insulin and Limb-Patterning Pathway Activities in the Horns of Beetles: An Integrative Study of the Mechanisms of Allometry, Dimorphism, Branching & Cur

几乎所有的昆虫形态特征的表达都对营养敏感，但几乎没有人知道将性状生长与营养相结合的遗传机制。一个极端的例子发生在圣甲虫的“角”。在同一物种中，甲虫角的大小和形状可以根据幼虫的营养而变化。有角的甲虫包括一些今天活着的最壮观和最奇怪的生物。 这些角的大小（相对于携带它们的甲虫的大小）甚至可以使有蹄类动物最极端的鹿角相形见绌，角形式的多样性令人惊叹。因此，甲虫角是具有已知功能意义的显著结构。 随着对这些动物的兴趣和观察超过世纪，以及许多最近的行为研究，有一个丰富的生态环境研究角的发展。本研究项目的长期目标是了解生理学，遗传学和发展与环境相互作用的方式，以产生动物形式的多样性。本项目的目的是确定负责产生甲虫角表达变异的机制。具体的目的是确定在何种程度上（1）胰岛素受体途径调节性状的增长，以响应营养的角甲虫，（2）胰岛素受体途径和肢体图案途径调节雄性二型性和性二型性角表达，（3）肢体图案途径指定角形状的甲虫与不同的角形态。该奖项的结果将提供重要的新信息，说明如何修改昆虫发育机制，以产生具有生物学意义的-甚至是壮观的-动物形态变异。通过这种方式，这项研究将解决生物学中的基本和长期存在的问题，例如：新的和复杂的形态结构是如何产生的？ 这些特征是如何被改变以产生动物形态的多样性的？这项研究合作的一个核心目标是在发展，遗传学和进化方面对年轻科学家进行交叉培训。参与该项目的研究生和本科生都将在PI的实验室中度过一段时间，并将接受发育和遗传方法的培训。这项研究的许多方面都适合独立的本科生项目，PI致力于在研究过程的各个方面对学生进行培训，包括在地方和国家会议上撰写和展示结果。这两个项目主管在科学领域培训妇女和少数民族方面都有出色的记录。该项目的两个重点物种是非常大的犀牛甲虫和世界各地的博物馆和教室的最爱，是一系列教育计划的完美选择。该项目将在各种教育/外展活动中使用这些动物，包括参观当地学校教室，支持华盛顿州立大学昆虫博物馆，并协助建立一个新的蒙大拿州昆虫动物园。

The expression of virtually all insect morphological traits is sensitive to nutrition, yet almost nothing is known about the genetic mechanisms that couple trait growth with nutrition. An extreme example occurs in the 'horns' of scarab beetles. Within a single species, beetle horns can vary tremendously in size and shape dependent upon larval nutrition. Beetles with horns include some of the most magnificent and bizarre organisms alive today. The sizes of these horns (relative to the sizes of the beetles that bear them) can dwarf even the most extreme antlers of ungulates, and the diversity of horn forms is breathtaking. Thus, beetle horns are conspicuous structures with known functional significance. With more than a century of interest and observation of these animals and many recent behavioral studies, there is a rich ecological context for the study of horn development.The long-term goal of this research project is to understand the ways that physiology, genetics, and development interact with the environment to generate diversity in animal forms. The objective of this project is to determine the mechanisms responsible for generating variation in the expression of beetle horns. The specific aims are to determine the extent to which (1) the insulin receptor pathway adjusts trait growth in response to nutrition in horned beetles, (2) the insulin receptor pathway and the limb-patterning pathway regulate male dimorphism and sexual dimorphism in horn expression, and (3) the limb-patterning pathway specifies horn shape in beetles with different horn morphologies. The results of this award will provide important new information about how the mechanisms of insect development may be modified to generate biologically meaningful - even spectacular - variation in animal form. In this way, this research will address fundamental and long-standing questions in biology such as: How do novel and complex morphological structures arise? And how are these traits modified to generate diversity in animal form?A core objective of this research collaboration is the cross-training of young scientists in development, genetics, and evolution. Both graduate and undergraduate students involved with this project will spend time in both of the PI's laboratories and will be trained in developmental and genetic methods alike. Numerous aspects of this study lend themselves to independent undergraduate student projects, and the PIs are committed to training students in all aspects of the research process including writing and presenting results at local and national meetings. Both PIs have excellent track records in the training of women and minorities in the sciences. Two of the focal species in this project are very large rhinoceros beetles and worldwide favorites of museums and classrooms, and are perfect for a range of educational programs. This project will use these animals in a variety of educational/outreach activities including visiting local school classrooms, supporting the Washington State University Insect Museum, and aiding with a new Montana insect zoo.