Collaborative Research Proposal: Tipping the Scales - A selection approach to the developmental regulation of morphological scaling

合作研究提案：倾斜尺度——形态尺度发育调节的选择方法

• 批准号: 0920720
• 负责人: William Frankino
• 金额: $ 21.08万
• 依托单位: University of Houston
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0920720&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Proposal; Tipping; Scales

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)The scaling of body parts is the quintessential feature of animal body form. Within species, organs need to be correctly proportioned to the body for the organism to function; larger individuals require larger hearts, longer limbs, etc., whereas smaller individuals generally are composed of proportionally smaller parts. While relative organ size is more or less constant within a species, it can vary dramatically among species; in fact, changes in the relative size of body parts are typically the most pronounced physical difference between species. For example, giraffes derive their distinctive, gracile body form from exaggeration in the size of their necks and limbs relative to their bodies, whereas walrus gain their robust, compact appearance from reduction in the size of their limbs relative to their massive bodies. Despite nearly a century of work describing the body proportions of myriad species, little is known about how scaling is maintained to preserve body form within a species or is modified to alter body form between species. Recent approaches model mathematically the expression and evolution of scaling relationships from first principles. These models focus on the physiological processes that regulate and integrate the growth of individual body parts and identify the specific developmental mechanisms that underlie the control of relative body part size. Importantly, the models can be used to identify which aspects of these mechanisms are likely to change to create differences in body proportions among species This research project will test the validity and predictive power of these models using a three-step approach. First, artificial selection will be used to independently alter the scaling relationship between the wing and body in the fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Second, the physiological mechanisms affecting the scaling relationship between wing and body size will be explored using the flies created through artificial selection. Third, the specific genes responsible for changes in relative wing size will be identified.This research program is the first to test physiological and genetic-based mathematical models of the regulation and evolution of scaling relationships. It promises to answer long-standing questions of how scaling is maintained to preserve form within species or is modified as body form diversifies between species. In addition, the project will provide extensive, cross-campus training for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Houston and Michigan State University.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。身体部位的缩放是动物身体形态的典型特征。在物种中，器官需要与身体正确比例才能发挥作用；体型较大的个体需要更大的心脏、更长的四肢等，而体型较小的个体通常由比例较小的部分组成。虽然一个物种的相对器官大小或多或少是恒定的，但不同物种的相对器官大小却有很大的不同；事实上，身体部位的相对大小的变化是物种之间最明显的生理差异。例如，长颈鹿的脖子和四肢相对于身体的大小被夸大，从而形成了它们独特而纤细的身体形态，而海象的四肢相对于其庞大的身体的大小被缩小，从而获得了它们健壮而紧凑的外表。尽管近一个世纪的工作描述了无数物种的身体比例，但对于如何保持一个物种内部的身体形状或如何改变物种之间的身体形状，我们知之甚少。最近的方法从第一性原理对尺度关系的表达和演化进行数学建模。这些模型关注调节和整合个体身体部位生长的生理过程，并确定控制相对身体部位大小的具体发育机制。重要的是，这些模型可以用来确定这些机制的哪些方面可能会改变，从而在物种之间产生身体比例的差异。本研究项目将使用三步法测试这些模型的有效性和预测能力。首先，人工选择将用于独立改变果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）翅膀和身体之间的比例关系。其次，利用人工选择产生的蝇类，探讨影响翅体型尺度关系的生理机制。第三，将确定导致相对翅膀大小变化的特定基因。这个研究项目是第一个测试生理和基因为基础的缩放关系的调节和进化的数学模型。它有望回答长期存在的问题，即如何保持物种内的形状，或者如何随着物种间体型的多样化而改变。此外，该项目将为休斯敦大学和密歇根州立大学的本科生和研究生提供广泛的跨校园培训。