Collaborative Research: Characterizing the genetics of seasonal animal migration

许多动物进行长距离的季节性迁徙，以逃离日益恶化的栖息地，开拓新的资源或逃避天敌。动物迁徙对迁徙物种的生态学和进化以及生态系统功能产生重大影响。尽管动物迁徙的重要性，但这种现象背后的遗传学仍然知之甚少。该项目将以帝王蝶为模型系统，描述季节性迁徙的遗传结构。由于许多与迁徙有关的特征与其他物种共享，这项工作也将大大促进我们对动物迁徙的普遍理解。我们也迫切需要了解帝王蝶迁徙的遗传学。在过去的几十年里，东部迁徙的帝王蝶的数量已经减少，有人认为这种壮观的现象可能在不久的将来消失。为了确定帝王蝶迁徙是否有灭绝的危险，以及非迁徙种群是否有可能重新进化迁徙以补充不断减少的北美种群，必须对帝王蝶迁徙遗传学进行彻底的了解。该项目还将产生各种更广泛的影响，包括学生和博士后研究人员的培训，以及在公立学校，科学中心和帝王蝶节的推广活动。季节性迁移在动物王国中广泛存在，但对任何物种的迁移遗传学缺乏全面的了解。迁移不是一个单一的特征，但更好地描述为一种综合征，包括各种特征，包括参与代谢，发育，感觉处理和生殖的特征。帝王蝶非常适合研究迁徙，因为它们在迁徙表型上自然发生的变化，以及在这个物种中越来越多的遗传工具。帝王蝶以其在北美东部壮观的年度迁徙而闻名，在此期间，数百万只帝王蝶从美国和加拿大飞往墨西哥的越冬地点。但不太被重视的是，落基山脉以西的帝王蝶向加州海岸的迁徙时间较短，而且帝王蝶在世界各地形成了非迁徙种群。该项目将利用这种自然发生的迁移表型的变化，以获得迁移遗传学的全面看法。为了做到这一点，研究人员将在迁徙和非迁徙君主之间进行遗传杂交，并量化与亲本和F2代迁徙相关的表型性状。他们将对帝王蝶基因组进行重新测序，进行数量性状基因座定位，并使用靶向基因组编辑来：（1）识别与迁移表型相关的基因组区域和基因;（2）表征与不同迁移距离相关的行为和遗传学;以及（3）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响评审标准。

Many animals undergo long-distance seasonal migrations to escape deteriorating habitats, colonize new resources or escape natural enemies. Animal migration has major impacts on the ecology and evolution of migrating species as well as on ecosystem functioning. Despite the importance of animal migration, the genetics underlying this phenomenon remain poorly understood. This project will characterize the genetic architecture of seasonal migration, using monarch butterflies as a model system. Because many of the traits related to migration are shared with other species, this work will also greatly advance our general understanding of animal migration. There is also a pressing need to understand the genetics of monarch migration. The population size of eastern migratory monarchs has dwindled over the last few decades, and it has been suggested that this spectacular phenomenon may disappear in the near future. A thorough understanding of monarch migration genetics must be achieved in order to determine whether monarch migration is at risk of extinction, and whether non-migratory populations could potentially re-evolve migration to supplement the dwindling North American population. This project will also have a variety of broader impacts, including the training of students and post-doctoral researchers, and outreach activities at public schools, science centers, and monarch butterfly festivals.Seasonal migration occurs widely across the animal kingdom, but a comprehensive understanding of migration genetics is lacking for any species. Migration is not a single trait, but is better described as a syndrome that includes a variety of traits, including those involved in metabolism, development, sensory processing and reproduction. Monarch butterflies are well suited to study migration because of their naturally occurring variation in migratory phenotypes, and the growing availability of genetic tools in this species. Monarchs are best known for their spectacular annual migration in eastern North America, during which millions of monarchs fly from the US and Canada to overwintering sites in Mexico. What is less appreciated is that monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains undergo a shorter migration to the California coast, and that monarchs have formed non-migratory populations around the world. This project will capitalize on this naturally occurring variation in migration phenotypes to obtain a comprehensive view of the genetics of migration. To do this, the researchers will perform genetic crosses between migratory and non-migratory monarchs and quantify phenotypic traits related to migration in parental and F2 generations. They will re-sequence monarch genomes, perform Quantitative Trait Locus mapping and use targeted genome editing to: (1) identify genomic regions and genes associated with migration phenotypes; (2) characterize behavior and genetics associated with divergent migration distances; and (3) functionally test candidate migration genes.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.