Temporal profiling and functional analysis of temperature-dependent gonad determination

温度依赖性性腺测定的时间分析和功能分析

• 批准号: 1256675
• 负责人: Blanche Capel
• 金额: $ 70.02万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1256675&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Temporal; profiling; functional; analysis; temperature

Gonad determination, the process by which an individual initiates development as a male or female, is controlled by many mechanisms. In mammals, including humans, genad determination is insensitive to environmental influences like temperature and external hormones, but instead is responsive to a dominant genetic switch on the Y chromosome, such that individuals with a Y become males and those without a Y become females. Other vertebrates such as alligators and many turtles, are sensitive to non-genetic influences such as egg incubation temperature. In these species, no genetic determinant of gonads is known, and little is known about how temperature or other environmental signals influence gonad determination. The goal of this project is to identify common principles that govern gonad determination across vertebrate species. Using methods developed with mice, experiments will be carried out to determine the sequential gene expression events induced by temperature that initiate male and female development in turtles, and to identify the similarities and differences between turtles and mice. Preliminary results from incubating turtle eggs at the midpoint between male- and female-producing temperatures suggest that an additional underlying temperature-independent mechanism exists for determining gonads exists in turtles. This project will characterize this additional pathway, pinpoint when and how temperature influences the outcome, and provide large quantities of sequence and expression data valuable to this and other fields.This work provides an outstanding opportunity for training in evolutionary and developmental biology for Duke graduate and undergraduate students, and visiting high school students from the North Carolina School for Science and Math. Special emphasis will be placed on introducing young students, including those from underrepresented groups, to field work during the summer turtle season. In addition, we plan to use this project to stimulate scientific literacy by engaging the public in conversations about basic science, the impact of the environment, and conservation via the Science Café in Durham.

性腺决定是个体开始发育为雄性或雌性的过程，由许多机制控制。在包括人类在内的哺乳动物中，性别决定对温度和外部激素等环境影响不敏感，而是对Y染色体上的显性遗传开关做出反应，例如具有Y的个体成为男性，而没有Y的个体成为女性。其他脊椎动物，如鳄鱼和许多海龟，对非遗传影响敏感，如卵孵化温度。在这些物种中，性腺的遗传决定因素是未知的，并且对温度或其他环境信号如何影响性腺决定知之甚少。这个项目的目标是确定共同的原则，管理性腺决定脊椎动物物种。使用与小鼠一起开发的方法，将进行实验以确定由温度诱导的启动海龟雄性和雌性发育的顺序基因表达事件，并确定海龟和小鼠之间的相似性和差异。在雄性和雌性生产温度之间的中点孵化海龟蛋的初步结果表明，存在一个额外的基本温度独立的机制来确定海龟的性腺存在。该项目将描述这一额外途径，查明温度何时以及如何影响结果，并提供大量对该领域和其他领域有价值的序列和表达数据。这项工作为杜克研究生和本科生提供了进化和发育生物学培训的绝佳机会，以及访问来自北卡罗来纳州科学和数学学校的高中生。特别强调将介绍年轻学生，包括来自代表性不足群体的学生，在夏季海龟季节进行野外工作。此外，我们计划利用这个项目来刺激科学素养，通过达勒姆的科学咖啡馆让公众参与关于基础科学、环境影响和保护的对话。