NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: The role of mitochondrial respiratory chain composition in facultative sexual reproduction

2019 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：线粒体呼吸链组成在兼性有性生殖中的作用

• 批准号: 1906751
• 负责人: Ryan Weaver
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Weaver Ryan J
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-07-01 至 2021-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1906751&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This research aims to increase understanding of the role of mitochondria (the organelle responsible for a majority of the cell's energy) in mediating animal's stress responses to changing environments and mode of reproduction. Some animals reproduce by making clones of themselves while others reproduce by mating with other individuals. The conditions under which an animal switches from making clones of itself to mating as a form of reproduction has been linked to environmental stress. Excessive environmental stress can damage an animal's cells and DNA. In an evolutionary context, mating is a means to repair DNA damage as well as to create new genes that will allow for adaptation to the environment. This work will study how the mitochondria are involved in this process. In addition to the work proposed to study mitochondria, the fellow has developed the Science Training and Education Program: Increasing The participation of Under-represented Populations (STEP IT UP) to promote and provide equitable access to a career in biological science. STEP IT UP focuses on first generation and racial minority students who may be denied research opportunities because of their grades or test scores alone. The fellow will recruit students through STEP IT UP to increase representation of underrepresented groups in biology.This project will investigate mitochondrial characteristics of the sea-starlet anemone, Nematostella vectensis, which is facultatively mating organism and has AOX. The mitochondrial respiratory chain is typically depicted as having two entry points and one exit for electrons. However, many facultative animals have a second exit, called the alternative oxidase (AOX). This work proposes that AOX protects cells from free radical damage during environmental stress and that through this protection, AOX allows for the clonal mode of reproduction under a wider breadth of environmental conditions. AOX maintains mitochondrial function under cellular stress conditions while keeping free radicals below levels that cause damage to DNA. Chemical inhibition of AOX and genetic knockout lineages will be created to test how environmental stress, free radicals, and AOX interact to determine mode of reproduction. The fellow will conduct stress experiments using lineages with and without AOX, then measure the point at which gametogenesis occurs. If AOX plays a role in mediating the switch to a mating form of reproduction, AOX knockout lineages should produce more free radicals and switch reproduction mode at a lower stress threshold than wild type lineages. AOX may play a role in other evolutionary processes such as DNA mutation rates, local adaptation, and speciation. STEP IT UP participants from under-represented groups in Texas will receive training in bioinformatics, molecular biology, and evolutionary biology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这一行动为NSF 2019财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大了生物学领域代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这项研究旨在增加对线粒体(负责细胞大部分能量的细胞器)在调节动物对不断变化的环境和繁殖模式的应激反应中的作用的了解。一些动物通过克隆自己来繁殖，而另一些动物则通过与其他个体交配来繁殖。动物从克隆动物转变为交配作为一种繁殖形式的条件与环境压力有关。过度的环境压力会破坏动物的细胞和DNA。在进化的背景下，交配是修复DNA损伤以及创造新基因的一种手段，这些基因将允许适应环境。这项工作将研究线粒体如何参与这一过程。除了提出的研究线粒体的工作外，该研究员还制定了科学培训和教育计划：增加未被充分代表的人群的参与(Step IT Up)，以促进和提供公平的生物科学职业机会。Step IT Up专注于第一代和少数族裔学生，他们可能仅仅因为成绩或考试成绩而被剥夺研究机会。该研究所将通过加强IT招生，以增加在生物学中代表性不足的群体的代表性。本项目将研究海星海葵的线粒体特征，这种海星海葵是兼性交配生物，具有AOX。线粒体呼吸链通常被描绘为有两个电子入口点和一个出口。然而，许多兼性动物有第二个出口，称为交替氧化酶(AOX)。这项工作提出，AOX在环境应激期间保护细胞免受自由基损伤，并通过这种保护，允许在更广泛的环境条件下的克隆繁殖模式。AOX在细胞应激条件下维持线粒体功能，同时将自由基保持在对DNA造成损害的水平以下。将创建AOX的化学抑制和基因敲除谱系，以测试环境压力、自由基和AOX如何相互作用来确定繁殖模式。这位研究员将使用有AOX和没有AOX的谱系进行压力实验，然后测量配子发生的时间点。如果AOX在调节生殖向交配形式的转换中起作用，AOX基因敲除谱系应该产生更多的自由基，并在比野生型谱系更低的应激阈值下切换生殖模式。AOX可能在其他进化过程中发挥作用，如DNA突变率、局部适应和物种形成。来自德克萨斯州代表不足群体的Step IT Up参与者将接受生物信息学、分子生物学和进化生物学方面的培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

High mitochondrial mutation rates in Silene are associated with nuclear-mediated changes in mitochondrial physiology

Silene 中的高线粒体突变率与核介导的线粒体生理学变化有关

• DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0450
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Biology Letters
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Weaver, Ryan J.;Carrion, Gina;Nix, Rachel;Maeda, Gerald P.;Rabinowitz, Samantha;Iverson, Erik N.;Thueson, Kiley;Havird, Justin C.
• 通讯作者: Havird, Justin C.

Red Coloration in an Anchialine Shrimp: Carotenoids, Genetic Variation, and Candidate Genes

• DOI: 10.1086/708625
• 发表时间: 2020-04-01
• 期刊: BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN
• 影响因子: 1.6
• 作者: Weaver, Ryan J.;Gonzalez, Bryson K.;Havird, Justin C.
• 通讯作者: Havird, Justin C.