Red Algae: A New Model for the Evolution of Parasitism

红藻：寄生进化的新模型

• 批准号: 1257472
• 负责人: Christopher Lane
• 金额: $ 54.98万
• 依托单位: University of Rhode Island
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-01 至 2016-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1257472&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Red; Algae; New; Model; Evolution

Parasitic organisms have independently evolved in every major lineage of life on Earth, however we know very little about the transition from free-living to parasite. Red algal parasites are ideal model organisms for investigating the origins of a parasitic life-strategy because most red algal parasites share an immediate common ancestor with a free-living red algal species. Therefore, a single pair of organisms can provide direct comparative data on the genetic changes occurring early in the evolution of a parasite. This project will characterize the co-evolutionary relationship from three species pairs of hosts and their parasites, then establish the effect of a parasitic strategy on their genomes This study will provide information relevant to dealing with some of the most damaging eukaryotic pathogens and parasites (e.g. , the causes of malaria, toxoplasmosis, sudden oak death, and the Irish Potato Famine). Additionally, red algae are important players in marine and freshwater habitats throughout the world and are among the dominant members of the benthic coastal community. This study will involve the training of undergraduates, a graduate student, and a postdoctoral fellow. URI's highly successful NSF-sponsored Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program will be used to recruit undergraduate and graduate researchers.

寄生生物在地球上每一个主要的生命谱系中都有独立的进化，然而我们对从自由生活到寄生的转变知之甚少。红藻寄生虫是研究寄生生命策略起源的理想模式生物，因为大多数红藻寄生虫与自由生活的红藻物种有一个直接的共同祖先。因此，单对生物可以提供在寄生虫进化早期发生的遗传变化的直接比较数据。该项目将描述三种物种对宿主及其寄生虫的共同进化关系，然后建立寄生策略对其基因组的影响。该研究将为处理一些最具破坏性的真核病原体和寄生虫（例如，疟疾，弓形虫病，橡树猝死病和爱尔兰马铃薯饥荒的原因）提供相关信息。此外，红藻在世界各地的海洋和淡水栖息地中发挥着重要作用，是底栖海岸群落的主要成员之一。本研究将包括本科生、研究生和博士后的培训。URI非常成功的由nsf赞助的路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟（LSAMP）项目将用于招募本科生和研究生研究人员。