Paralogous VDRs in Teleosts: Transition of Nuclear Receptor Function Through Sub- and Neofunctionalization

硬骨鱼中的旁系同源 VDR：通过亚功能化和新功能化实现核受体功能的转变

• 批准号: 0842510
• 负责人: Seth Kullman
• 金额: $ 37.81万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-03-15 至 2014-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0842510&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Paralogous; VDRs; Teleosts; Transition; Nuclear

Fishes comprise approximately 24,000 existing species and are among the most diverse and successful groups of vertebrates. These organisms represent an extensive array of biological characteristics and maintain considerable genetic diversity. It appears that much of the complexity of these organisms is a result of successive rounds of genetic duplications resulting in multiple copies of many important genes. The presence of multiple gene copies is believed to have had a large impact on the evolution of fish and their diversity. The retention of multiple genes in fish provides the opportunity to gain insights into how genes evolve through specific processes. This research will examine whether multiple vitamin D receptor genes (VDRs) present in most fish species have evolved new functions and/or partitioned ancestral functions subsequent to duplication. Through three specific aims, critical vitamin D receptor structure-function dynamics, spatial-temporal patterns of VDR gene expression, and role of vitamin D receptor during embryo development will be investigated. The proposed approach provides a systematic and comprehensive investigation that enables a detailed evaluation of functional change of the vitamin D receptor across a number of evolutionary diverse fish species. Results of this work will support a scientific understanding of the evolution of fish endocrinology by enhancing the conceptual framework of how retention, loss or diversification of gene duplicates contributes to endocrine innovation in these species. Training of undergraduate and graduate students as part of this research plan will provide a unique opportunity to educate and engage young scientists. In addition to yearly training, students will participate in the summer research program at the Mount Desert Island Biological laboratory (MDBL) in Maine. The MDIBL facility has a long-standing dedication to undergraduate education with an emphasis on the exploration of timely questions involving marine and freshwater biology in a diverse array of aquatic fauna.

鱼类约有24，000种，是脊椎动物中最多样化和最成功的群体之一。这些生物体具有广泛的生物特征，并保持相当大的遗传多样性。这些生物体的复杂性似乎是连续几轮基因复制的结果，导致许多重要基因的多个拷贝。多个基因拷贝的存在被认为对鱼类的进化及其多样性产生了巨大影响。在鱼类中保留多个基因为深入了解基因如何通过特定过程进化提供了机会。这项研究将检查是否存在于大多数鱼类中的多个维生素D受体基因（VDRs）在复制后进化出新的功能和/或划分祖先的功能。通过三个具体的目标，关键的维生素D受体的结构-功能动力学，VDR基因表达的时空模式，以及维生素D受体在胚胎发育过程中的作用将进行研究。所提出的方法提供了一个系统和全面的调查，使详细的评估功能变化的维生素D受体在许多进化的不同鱼类物种。这项工作的结果将支持鱼类内分泌学的进化的科学理解，通过增强保留，丢失或多样化的基因副本如何有助于这些物种的内分泌创新的概念框架。作为本研究计划的一部分，对本科生和研究生的培训将为教育和吸引年轻科学家提供一个独特的机会。除了每年的培训，学生将参加夏季研究计划在山沙漠岛生物实验室（MDBL）在缅因州。MDIBL设施长期致力于本科教育，重点是探索各种水生动物中涉及海洋和淡水生物学的及时问题。