Relating Diversity of Brood Pouch Structure and Species Susceptability to Environmental Factors

育儿袋结构多样性和物种对环境因素的敏感性之间的关系

• 批准号: 0722120
• 负责人: Jennifer Stueckle
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: West Virginia University Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-08-15 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0722120&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Relating; Diversity; Brood; Pouch; Structure

Male seahorses and pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae have special structures for brooding embryos, including a placental-like structure called the brood pouch. Significant differences have been described in the brood pouch of two closely related pipefishes, Syngnathus floridae and Syngnathus fuscus. Specifically, the species differ in the contribution of proteins and lipids from the male and female parent to developing embryos. Developing S. fuscus rely more on nutrients provided by the male parent via the brood pouch, whereas S. floridae embryos depend more on nutrients supplied to the egg by the female parent. The goal of this research is to characterize the rate of nutrient transfer using stable isotopes and track the growth of brood pouch blood vessels by employing latex casts and scanning electron microscopy. Our studies are among the first to explore nutrient allocation and blood vessel patterns in the brood pouch in this diverse and interesting family. The results will help determine whether closely related species with similar brood pouch structures can have very different placental-like functions. In addition, this work will provide the foundation for future studies aimed at revealing the consequences of brood pouch morphology and function on species-specific sensitivities to environmental stresses such as hypoxia and water-borne contaminants. An extensive outreach project, focused on the novel mode of reproduction in pipefish and their habitat, will introduce the process of scientific discovery, further the understanding of estuarine systems and improve biological literacy for participating pre-college students.

海马科的雄性海马和海龙具有特殊的孵化胚胎结构，包括称为育儿袋的类似胎盘的结构。两种密切相关的海龙鱼（Syngnathus floridae 和 Syngnathus fuscus）的育儿袋存在显着差异。具体来说，不同物种的雄性和雌性亲本的蛋白质和脂质对发育胚胎的贡献不同。发育中的 S. fuscus 更多地依赖于父本通过育儿袋提供的营养，而 S. floridae 胚胎更多地依赖于母本为卵提供的营养。这项研究的目标是使用稳定同位素来表征营养物质转移的速率，并通过使用乳胶模型和扫描电子显微镜来跟踪育儿袋血管的生长。我们的研究是最早探索这个多样化且有趣的家庭育儿袋中的营养分配和血管模式的研究之一。这些结果将有助于确定具有相似育儿袋结构的密切相关物种是否可以具有非常不同的胎盘样功能。此外，这项工作将为未来的研究奠定基础，旨在揭示育儿袋形态和功能对物种特异性对缺氧和水性污染物等环境应激的敏感性的影响。一个广泛的外展项目，重点关注海龙及其栖息地的新型繁殖方式，将介绍科学发现的过程，进一步了解河口系统，并提高参与预科学生的生物素养。