Dissertation Research: The Role of Cnidarian Immunity in Pathogenic and Mutualistic Interactions: A Functional Genomics Approach

论文研究：刺胞动物免疫在致病和互利相互作用中的作用：功能基因组学方法

• 批准号: 1110320
• 负责人: C. Drew Harvell
• 金额: $ 1.49万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-06-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1110320&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Role; Cnidarian; Immunity

Animals interact with a variety of microorganims and these interactions range from harmful to beneficial. One of the most important beneficial relationships is that between cnidarians (e.g., corals and sea anemones) and single-celled algae that live within cnidarian tissues. It is this relationship that enables coral reefs to thrive and to provide a number of ecosystem services. The stability of this relationship likely involves the interplay between the cnidarian immune response and the algal symbiont. However, we have a poor understanding of cnidarian immunity. The proposed research employs microarrays, a tool for looking at the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously, to characterize the immunological ?tool kit? of cnidarians and to determine how this ?tool kit? interacts with both harmful and beneficial microorganisms. Because cnidarians are relatively simple animals, this study will provide insight into the development of animal immune systems and the subsequent changes that allowed for more complex responses. This study will leverage a vast literature on interactions between animal cells and parasitic protozoans, like those that cause malaria, to initiate a comparative exploration of the parallels and novelties of beneficial and harmful interactions. This research will also enable a better understanding of coral bleaching and disease, both of which are responsible for substantial coral reef decline. Finally, this research will support undergraduate training and a number of outreach programs catering to local middle-school students, undergraduates, and the general public.

动物与多种微生物相互作用，这些相互作用有有害的，也有有益的。 最重要的有益关系之一是刺胞动物（例如珊瑚和海葵）与生活在刺胞动物组织内的单细胞藻类之间的关系。 正是这种关系使珊瑚礁得以蓬勃发展并提供许多生态系统服务。 这种关系的稳定性可能涉及刺胞动物免疫反应和藻类共生体之间的相互作用。 然而，我们对刺胞动物的免疫了解甚少。 拟议的研究采用微阵列，一种同时观察数千个基因表达的工具，来表征免疫学“工具包”。的刺胞动物并确定如何使用这个？工具包？与有害和有益微生物相互作用。 由于刺胞动物是相对简单的动物，这项研究将深入了解动物免疫系统的发展以及随后发生的变化，从而产生更复杂的反应。这项研究将利用关于动物细胞和寄生原生动物（如引起疟疾的原生动物）之间相互作用的大量文献，对有益和有害相互作用的相似性和新颖性进行比较探索。 这项研究还将有助于更好地了解珊瑚白化和疾病，这两者都是造成珊瑚礁大幅衰退的原因。 最后，这项研究将支持本科生培训和一些针对当地中学生、本科生和公众的外展项目。