The evolution of gene expression and functional specialization in Siphonophora (Cnidaria)

管水母（Cnidaria）基因表达和功能特化的进化

• 批准号: 1256695
• 负责人: Casey Dunn
• 金额: $ 70万
• 依托单位: Brown 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: 2013-03-15 至 2017-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1256695&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: evolution; gene; expression; functional; specialization

Different species have different degrees of specialization between their cells, genes, and organs. Understanding the evolutionary origins and genomic underpinning of this functional specialization is critical to understanding the diversity of life on Earth and the implications of division of labor for complex systems. This project will investigate functional specialization in a group of marine invertebrate species with some of the most extreme divisions of labor, the siphonophores. Siphonophores are made up of hundreds of specialized bodies that each perform particular tasks, such as feeding or defense. The investigators will measure gene activity in multiple types of specialized bodies in twelve species of siphonophores, and characterize the anatomical differences between these bodies. Evolutionary analyses will indicate which genes have shifts in activity that are associated with shifts in the division of labor.This project will test general hypotheses about the evolution and impact of the division of labor in complex, integrated organisms. It will also develop new statistical methods and computational tools that will enable evolutionary analyses of gene activity in other species. In addition, this grant provides support to produce new animations that communicate findings to a broad audience (posted at http://creaturecast.org).

不同的物种在细胞、基因和器官之间有不同的特化程度。了解这种功能专业化的进化起源和基因组基础对于理解地球上生命的多样性以及复杂系统的劳动分工的影响至关重要。这个项目将调查一组海洋无脊椎动物物种的功能专业化与一些最极端的分工，管水母。管水母是由数百个专门的机构，每个执行特定的任务，如喂养或防御。研究人员将测量12种管水母中多种类型专门机构的基因活性，并描述这些机构之间的解剖差异。进化分析将指出哪些基因的活动变化与劳动分工的变化有关。本项目将测试关于复杂综合生物体中劳动分工的进化和影响的一般假设。它还将开发新的统计方法和计算工具，使其他物种的基因活动的进化分析成为可能。此外，这笔赠款还提供支持，以制作新的动画，向广大观众传达调查结果（张贴在http://creaturecast.org）。