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.

该奖项根据 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）提供资金。身体部位的缩放是动物体型的典型特征。在物种内，器官需要与身体保持正确的比例，有机体才能发挥作用；较大的个体需要较大的心脏、较长的四肢等，而较小的个体通常由比例较小的部分组成。虽然相对器官大小在一个物种内或多或少是恒定的，但在不同物种之间却可能存在巨大差异。事实上，身体部位相对大小的变化通常是物种之间最明显的身体差异。例如，长颈鹿因其颈部和四肢相对于身体的尺寸夸大而获得其独特的、纤细的身体形态，而海象则通过四肢相对于其庞大身体的尺寸缩小而获得坚固、紧凑的外观。尽管近一个世纪的工作描述了无数物种的身体比例，但人们对如何维持尺度以保持物种内的身体形态或如何修改以改变物种之间的身体形态知之甚少。最近的方法从第一原理对缩放关系的表达和演化进行数学建模。这些模型侧重于调节和整合各个身体部位生长的生理过程，并确定控制相对身体部位尺寸的具体发育机制。 重要的是，这些模型可用于确定这些机制的哪些方面可能会发生变化，从而造成物种间身体比例的差异。该研究项目将使用三步法来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翅膀和身体之间的比例关系。其次，将利用人工选择产生的果蝇来探索影响翅膀和身体尺寸之间比例关系的生理机制。第三，将确定导致相对翅膀大小变化的特定基因。该研究计划是第一个测试基于生理和遗传的缩放关系调节和进化的数学模型。它有望回答长期存在的问题，即如何维持尺度以保持物种内的形态，或如何随着物种间身体形态的多样化而改变尺度。此外，该项目还将为休斯顿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。