Evolution of a pheromonal communication system in amphibians

了解生物体如何相互沟通，以及沟通系统如何随着时间的推移而产生和变化，是生物学的一个重大挑战。该项目提供了一个难得的机会，在分子水平上研究两栖动物（蝾螈和青蛙）化学通讯系统的起源和多样性。 此外，这项研究可以为计算机科学中的应用提供一个新的框架，目前的研究重点是构建可以进化和使用通信来完成工作的系统，然后根据需求的变化进行调整。该项目还将与密歇根州立大学的BEACON中心和正在进行的REU网站奖合作，为博士后研究人员和众多本科生的培训做出贡献。具体来说，这项工作的目标是跟踪化合物之间的进化联系，两栖动物在皮肤中产生的抗菌剂和它们后来作为信息素的使用;纯化和测试这些化合物作为抗菌剂和信息素的功效;并确定用于闻到这些化合物的分子机制。这些结果将通过使用生物信息学和基因组学来追踪基因的遗传历史，蛋白质生物化学来分离和测试基因产物，行为实验来确定哪些化合物作为信息素，以及电生理学来确定负责感知信息素的神经元机制。这些研究的结果将通过同行评审的出版物和在科学会议上的介绍加以传播。所有数据将根据要求提供，并存放在Dryad和NCBI Trace档案馆。

Understanding how organisms communicate with one other and how communication systems arise and change over time is a major challenge in biology. This project provides a rare opportunity to investigate the origin and diversification of a chemical communication system at the molecular level in amphibians (salamanders and frogs). In addition, this research can provide a novel framework for applications in computer science, where current research is focused on building systems that can evolve and use communication to accomplish jobs and then adapt as needs change. The project will also contribute to the training of a postdoctoral researcher and numerous undergraduate students in collaboration with MSU's BEACON Center and an ongoing REU site award. Specifically, the objectives of this work are to trace the evolutionary link between compounds that amphibians produce in the skin as antimicrobials and their later use as pheromones; to purify and test the efficacy of those compounds as antimicrobials and pheromones; and to identify the molecular mechanism used to smell those compounds. The results will be obtained through the use of bioinformatics and genomics to trace the genetic history of genes, protein biochemistry to isolate and test the gene products, behavioral experiments to determine which compounds function as pheromones, and electrophysiology to identify the neuronal mechanisms responsible for sensing the pheromones. Results from these studies will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and through presentations at scientific conferences. All data will be available upon request and deposited at Dryad and the NCBI Trace archive.