DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Linking genes to cues: How molecular mechanisms explain individual variation of adaptive plasticity to an environmental cue

论文研究：将基因与线索联系起来：分子机制如何解释适应性可塑性与环境线索的个体差异

• 批准号: 1601485
• 负责人: Michael Sears
• 金额: $ 1.5万
• 依托单位: Clemson University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-05-15 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1601485&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Linking; genes; cues

This research will investigate how salamanders respond to climate change by acclimating to new environments. The capacity to adjust physiological traits may be especially important for amphibians because they are one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Amphibians use both terrestrial and aquatic environments and thus are particularly sensitive to environmental degradation due to climate change. Unfortunately, despite increased interest in response to climate change, we know very little about how salamander populations will fare under changing conditions. The goal of this project is to identify genes that may contribute to a salamander's ability to accommodate environmental change. This study will help determine if salamander populations can evolve an increased capacity to deal with variable environments. The study will also provide underrepresented college students the opportunity to develop independent, inquiry-based projects in amphibian biology. In response to climate change, organisms must adapt, acclimate, migrate, or potentially face extinction. Adaptation is a heritable evolutionary change of a population over generations. Acclimation is change that happens within the lifetime of an individual animal. If individuals vary in their capacity to acclimate, increased acclimation ability might itself evolve due to natural selection creating an adaptation of acclimation. The study will determine the capacity of individual Southern grey-cheeked salamander (Plethodon metcalfi) to adjust rates of water loss in response to temperature and humidity. Using a time-course experimental design, the study will identify differences in gene expression between individuals that acclimate and individuals that do not acclimate and identify the genes that the salamanders use to reduce rates of water loss as temperature changes. Upon identifying these genes, the study will link the activity of those genes to specific physiological responses that alter water loss. The result will be an increased understanding of the genetic basis of acclimation and adaptation to environmental cues.

这项研究将调查蝾螈如何通过适应新环境来应对气候变化。调整生理特征的能力对两栖动物来说可能特别重要，因为它们是地球上最受威胁的动物之一。两栖动物利用陆地和水生环境，因此对气候变化造成的环境退化特别敏感。不幸的是，尽管人们对应对气候变化越来越感兴趣，但我们对蝾螈种群在不断变化的条件下将如何发展知之甚少。该项目的目标是确定可能有助于蝾螈适应环境变化的基因。这项研究将有助于确定蝾螈种群是否能够进化出更强的能力来应对多变的环境。这项研究还将为代表性不足的大学生提供机会，在两栖动物生物学领域开展独立的、基于探究的项目。为了应对气候变化，生物体必须适应，驯化，迁移，或可能面临灭绝。适应是一个种群在世代之间的可遗传的进化变化。驯化是个体动物一生中发生的变化。如果个体的适应能力不同，由于自然选择创造了适应性的适应，增加的适应能力本身可能会进化。这项研究将确定个体南方灰颊蝾螈（Plethodon metcalfi）调整失水率以应对温度和湿度的能力。使用时程实验设计，该研究将确定适应环境的个体和不适应环境的个体之间的基因表达差异，并确定蝾螈用于降低温度变化时水分流失率的基因。在确定这些基因后，该研究将把这些基因的活性与改变水分流失的特定生理反应联系起来。其结果将是增加对适应和适应环境线索的遗传基础的理解。