NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: The role of RNA editing in thermal acclimation of the octopus nervous system.

这项行动资助了2019财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。这项研究的目的是更好地了解神经元（在我们的神经系统中执行通信的细胞）如何适应环境温度的变化。正常的神经系统功能依赖于许多对温度敏感的过程。目前，人们还不清楚冷血动物的神经系统如何适应温度变化。关于这个主题的大多数研究都研究了蛋白质或DNA如何响应温度变化而变化。然而，这项研究将研究RNA如何响应温度的变化，并将使用章鱼作为模型系统来进行研究。章鱼能够通过一种称为“RNA编辑”的过程编辑大部分RNA以产生新的蛋白质。然而，目前尚不清楚这是如何实现的。在任何动物中，通过RNA编辑改变蛋白质功能的例子很少，而且没有一个是温度适应的结果。这项研究的结果将有助于确定RNA编辑是否是章鱼神经系统适应快速温度波动的重要机制。除了这项研究外，该研究员还将促进更多代表性不足的群体参与海洋生物实验室的研究，并在波多黎各大学举办方法讲习班，这项调查将确定章鱼中温度敏感的RNA编辑的幅度和时间动态。拟议的实验研究了重新编码事件在RNA和蛋白质水平上响应急性温度波动的变化速度。另外的实验将检查驱动蛋白和突触结合蛋白（神经元功能的两种重要蛋白质）中的温度敏感性氨基酸取代，并询问它们是否改变蛋白质功能以提供温度补偿。该研究员寻求扩大代表性不足的群体在海洋生物实验室生物学方面的参与，并提出了一项三点计划。通过在MBL多样性委员会中的作用，该研究员将1）扩大已经在MBL的少数民族的职业发展机会，2）促进少数民族服务机构的入学和资助机会，以获得世界知名的MBL课程，和3）培养少数民族大学生的分子生物学和方法，以整个有机体生理学。这个奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已被视为值得支持通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

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. The objective of this study is to better understand how neurons (the cells that perform the communication in our nervous system) acclimate to changes in environmental temperature. Proper nervous system function is dependent on many temperature-sensitive processes. Currently, it is not well understood how the nervous system of cold-blooded animals acclimates to temperature changes. Most studies on this topic have examined either how proteins or DNA changes in response to temperature change. However, this study will investigate how RNA changes in response to temperature, and will use the octopus as a model system to do so. Octopuses are able to edit a large proportion of their RNAs via a process called "RNA editing" to produce new proteins. However, it remains unclear how this is accomplished. Few examples of altered protein function through RNA editing have been documented in any animal, and none as a result of temperature acclimation. The findings from this study will help determine whether RNA editing is an important mechanism for acclimation in the octopus nervous system to rapid temperature fluctuations. In addition to this research, the fellow will promote greater inclusion of underrepresented groups in research at the Marine Biological Laboratory and host methods workshops at the University of Puerto Rico.This investigation will determine the magnitude and temporal dynamics of temperature-sensitive RNA editing in the octopus. The proposed experiments examine how quickly recoding events can change in response to acute temperature fluctuations at both the RNA and protein levels. Additional experiments will examine temperature-sensitive amino acid substitutions in kinesin and synaptotagmin, two important proteins for neuronal function, and ask whether they alter protein function to provide temperature compensation. The fellow seeks to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in biology at the Marine Biological Laboratory with a 3-point plan. Through a role on the MBL Diversity Committee, the fellow will 1) broaden career development opportunities for minorities already present at the MBL, 2) promote enrollment and funding opportunities at minority-serving institutions for world-renown MBL courses, and 3) train minority undergraduate students in molecular biology and approaches to whole organism physiology.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.