CAREER: Do anemonefish exploit anemone sensory mechanisms to evade attack by their hosts?

海葵鱼（小丑鱼）和海葵之间的关系是最广泛认可的共生关系的例子之一。这种互动的一个明显特征是，鱼可以在海葵带刺的触手中安然无恙地游泳。尽管经过50多年的研究，使这种相互作用成为可能的生理适应仍然是一个谜。目前已知的是，这种保护涉及鱼类的粘液外套，海葵通过感知糖链来检测猎物，糖链通过一种称为糖基化的过程附着在蛋白质上。本研究将从两个角度探讨这一问题。首先，要确定潜在的生理机制，保护鱼，粘液糖基化模式将进行比较非共生鱼类和几个物种，独立发展的相互作用与海葵。然后，研究人员将测试这些糖基化模式对海葵刺痛反应的影响。其次，研究人员将调查海葵鱼从最初敌对的海葵中获得保护的能力。高通量的方法将比较幼稚和相关的海葵鱼，以确定他们是否调节基因表达，蛋白质表达，或粘液糖基化在适应海葵。该项目还将上述研究目标与针对马萨诸塞大学达特茅斯和周边社区的教育和推广方法相结合。麻省大学达特茅斯是一所以本科生为主的大学，超过50%的本科生是第一代大学生。一个开放式的课堂研究经验正在开发，以加强遗传学的概念，通过分子实验室研究有关的海葵鱼海葵共生的基因讲授。此外，三名研究生和十名本科生研究员将接受该项目的培训。最后，研究人员正在与新贝德福德海洋探索中心合作，开发教育机会和教师培训讲习班，以加强区域K-12科学教育。

The relationship between anemonefish (clownfish) and sea anemones is one of the most widely recognized examples of symbiosis. A defining characteristic enabling this interaction is that the fish can swim unharmed among the stinging tentacles of the sea anemone. Despite over 50 years of research, the physiological adaptations enabling this interaction remain a mystery. What is known is that the protection involves the mucous coat of the fish and that sea anemones detect prey by sensing sugar chains that are attached to proteins through a process called glycosylation. The current study will investigate this question from two angles. First, to identify potential physiological mechanisms protecting the fish, mucous glycosylation patterns will be compared between non-symbiotic fish species and several species that have independently evolved interactions with sea anemones. The researchers will then test the effects of these glycosylation patterns on stinging responses of sea anemones. Second, the researchers will investigate the ability of anemonefish to gain protection from sea anemones that are initially hostile. High-throughput methods will compare naive and associating anemonefish to determine if they regulate gene expression, protein expression, or mucous glycosylation during acclimation to a sea anemone. This project also integrates the above research goals with education and outreach approaches tailored to UMass Dartmouth and the surrounding community. UMass Dartmouth is a predominantly undergraduate-serving institution, and over 50% of its undergraduates are first generation college students. An open-ended classroom research experience is being developed to reinforce genetics concepts taught in lecture through molecular laboratory investigations of genes related to the anemonefish-sea anemone symbiosis. In addition, three graduate students and ten undergraduate researchers will be trained on the project. Finally, the researchers are partnering with the New Bedford Ocean Explorium to develop education opportunities and teacher training workshops to enhance regional K-12 science education.