DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of visual pigments in fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

论文研究：萤火虫视觉色素的进化（鞘翅目：萤科）

• 批准号: 1311315
• 负责人: David W. Hall
• 金额: $ 1.93万
• 依托单位: University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc
• 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: 2013-06-01 至 2015-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1311315&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Evolution; visual; pigments

How and why new mating signals arise and spread through a population remain open questions in evolutionary biology. However, it has been difficult to study signaling traits from a genetic perspective since signals, and the receptors that enable their detection, are often complex physical and/or behavioral traits affected by many genes. Fireflies offer an ideal system to study signal evolution because of their conspicuous and highly variable mating signals. These include lighted signals that range from simple glows to complex flashes, and differ in color, from blue/green to orange. Importantly, the underlying genetic basis of the lighted signal and signal receptor are both simple: light production is controlled by a single enzyme (luciferase) and visual receptor sensitivity by a single family of receptors (opsins). This work will use Next Generation sequencing techniques to examine the evolution of opsins in relationship to signal color and environmental light conditions.This work will offer an unprecedented look at the evolution of visual receptors in a nocturnal visual signaling system. Combined with ongoing work examining the evolution of the light signal, it will allow testing of hypotheses for the molecular evolution of genes underlying both signals and receptors. It will revolutionize the genetic resources for fireflies and has the potential to place fireflies at the forefront of signal evolution research. Research opportunities will be offered for undergraduate students and resources developed for K-9 education.

新的交配信号是如何以及为什么会出现并在种群中传播的，这在进化生物学中仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。然而，从遗传学的角度研究信号特征一直很困难，因为信号和使其检测成为可能的受体通常是受许多基因影响的复杂的身体和/或行为特征。萤火虫提供了一个理想的系统来研究信号的演变，因为它们的显着和高度可变的交配信号。这些包括从简单的发光到复杂的闪烁的发光信号，并且颜色不同，从蓝色/绿色到橙子。重要的是，发光信号和信号受体的潜在遗传基础都很简单：光的产生由单一的酶（荧光素酶）控制，视觉受体的敏感性由单一的受体家族（视蛋白）控制。这项工作将使用下一代测序技术来研究视蛋白与信号颜色和环境光条件的关系。这项工作将前所未有地研究夜间视觉信号系统中视觉受体的进化。结合正在进行的研究光信号进化的工作，它将允许测试信号和受体基因分子进化的假设。它将彻底改变萤火虫的遗传资源，并有可能将萤火虫置于信号进化研究的最前沿。将为本科生提供研究机会，并为K-9教育开发资源。