RAPID: Influence of Environmental Crude Oil Exposure on Genetic Mechanisms of Fish Development

RAPID：环境原油暴露对鱼类发育遗传机制的影响

• 批准号: 1058975
• 负责人: Edmund Stellwag
• 金额: $ 19.95万
• 依托单位: East Carolina University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1058975&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Influence; Environmental; Crude; Oil

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has made it imperative to understand the effects of crude oil exposure on marine life. This RAPID project is designed to investigate the effects of crude oil compounds on the development of fish larvae. Embryonic stages of animal development are very sensitive to environmental pollutants like those in crude oil. Fish larvae form an important component of the Gulf Coast food web, and one goal of this project is to determine how exposure to these compounds will induce developmental abnormalities that may result in severe impairment of surviving fish. The RAPID response is particularly appropriate, as the both the brood fish and their spawn have been acutely exposed to crude oil. Understanding the molecular and genetic basis of the effects of any abnormalities will help determine whether they result from molecular pathways common to other environmental pollutants or are unique to crude oil. This will be investigated using both state-of-the-art DNA sequencing gene expression technologies and bioinformatics-based gene network analysis. The implementation of these methods to study the molecular basis of the effects of crude oil exposure on embryonic development represents a major step forward in the use of technologically-advanced gene analysis tools to understand the molecular basis of interactions between organisms and their environment. This project provides training for graduate students in molecular and environmental science and the opportunity for research scientists to communicate findings to the public that concern the livelihood and welfare of American citizens.

墨西哥湾深水地平线漏油事件使得了解原油泄漏对海洋生物的影响成为当务之急。这一快速项目旨在调查原油化合物对鱼类幼体发育的影响。动物发育的胚胎阶段对环境污染物非常敏感，比如原油中的污染物。鱼类幼体是墨西哥湾沿岸食物网的重要组成部分，该项目的一个目标是确定暴露在这些化合物中将如何导致发育异常，从而可能对幸存的鱼类造成严重损害。快速反应是特别合适的，因为孵化的鱼和它们的产卵都严重暴露在原油中。了解任何异常影响的分子和遗传基础将有助于确定它们是由其他环境污染物共同的分子途径造成的，还是原油所独有的。这将使用最先进的DNA测序基因表达技术和基于生物信息学的基因网络分析来进行研究。实施这些方法来研究原油暴露对胚胎发育影响的分子基础，标志着在使用技术先进的基因分析工具了解生物与其环境之间相互作用的分子基础方面向前迈出了重要的一步。该项目为研究生提供分子和环境科学方面的培训，并为研究科学家提供机会，向公众传播涉及美国公民生计和福利的研究成果。