ANT LIA Collaborative Research: Interrogating Molecular and Physiological Adaptations in Antarctic Marine Animals.

由于全球变暖、海洋酸化和潜在冰架崩塌的综合影响，南极底栖海洋无脊椎动物群落目前正经历着快速的环境变化。被称为苔藓虫的无脊椎动物群体创造了专门的“珊瑚礁”栖息地，让人想起热带海洋环境中的珊瑚礁。在南极，苔藓虫群落占据了浅海和深海海底的很大一部分，并为其他海洋动物提供了栖息地。构成这些群落的苔藓虫谱系经历了巨大的遗传和生理变化，以应对南极洲独特的环境条件。将多种南极苔藓虫的DNA数据与相关的温水物种的DNA数据进行比较，将有助于研究人员确定苔藓虫和其他适应南极环境的海洋生物的独特和共有的适应特征。此外，对催化相关基因（酶）的直接实验测试将揭示各种细胞过程中潜在的冷适应。讲习班将培训不同群体的科学家使用计算工具来识别来自不同环境的生物体的遗传修饰。面向学生、社交媒体和科学记者的公共宣传活动旨在提高人们对南极壮观海洋生物和苔藓虫生物学隐藏之美的认识和欣赏。了解适应极地环境的基因组变化对于预测生态变化将如何影响这些脆弱环境中的生命至关重要。要实现这些目标，就需要在系统发育框架内，对大量生物体的基因组尺度数据进行详细研究。这项研究结合了多方面的计算和功能方法，包括分析无脊椎生物的基因进化，被称为苔藓虫或外生生物。此外，将通过比较新产生的数据与以前讲习班产生的数据来检验苔藓虫结果与其他分类群结果的共性。本研究的具体目的包括：1)利用苔藓虫的转录组学和基因组学数据，确定与适应南极海洋环境有关的基因，在系统发育框架中测试积极选择的基因；2)通过实验测试已确定的候选酶（特别是那些参与钙信号、糖酵解、柠檬酸循环和细胞骨架的酶），以寻找冷适应的证据；3)举办计算机研讨会，旨在培训科学家识别基因适应极地和其他不同环境的技术。这项工作为快速变化的南极环境中生命的分子规律提供了重要的见解，并为了解南极分类群如何应对未来的环境条件提供了重要的信息。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

The Antarctic benthic marine invertebrate communities are currently experiencing rapid environmental change due to the combined effects of global warming, ocean acidification, and the potential for ice-shelf collapse. Colonial invertebrate animals called bryozoans create specialized ‘reef-like’ habitats that are reminiscent of the coral reefs found in tropical marine environments. In the Antarctic, these bryozoan communities occupy significant portions of the shallow and deep seafloor, and provide habitat for other marine animals. The bryozoan lineages that make up these communities have undergone dramatic genetic and physiological changes in response to the unique environmental conditions found in Antarctica. Comparison of the DNA data from multiple Antarctic bryozoans to those of related warm-water species will help researchers identify unique and shared adaptations characteristic of bryozoans and other marine organisms that have adapted to the Antarctic environment. Additionally, direct experimental tests of catalytic-related genes (enzymes) will shed light on potential cold-adaption in various cell processes. Workshops will train diverse groups of scientists using computational tools to identify genetic modifications of organisms from disparate environments. Public outreach activities to students, social media, and science journalists are designed to raise awareness and appreciation of the spectacular marine life in the Antarctic and the hidden beauty of bryozoan biology. Understanding the genomic changes underlying adaptations to polar environments is critical for predicting how ecological changes will affect life in these fragile environments. Accomplishing these goals requires looking in detail at genome-scale data across a wide array of organisms in a phylogenetic framework. This study combines multifaceted computational and functional approaches that involves analyzing in the genic evolution of invertebrate organisms, known as the bryozoans or ectoprocts. In addition, the commonality of bryozoan results with those of other taxa will be tested by comparing newly generated data to that produced in previous workshops. The specific aims of this study include: 1) identifying genes involved in adaptation to Antarctic marine environments using transcriptomic and genomic data from bryozoans to test for positively selected genes in a phylogenetic framework, 2) experimentally testing identified candidate enzymes (especially those involved in calcium signaling, glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the cytoskeleton) for evidence of cold adaption, and 3) conducting computational workshops aimed at training scientists in techniques for the identification of genetic adaptations to polar and other disparate environments. The proposed work provides critical insights into the molecular rules of life in rapidly changing Antarctic environments, and provides important information for understanding how Antarctic taxa will respond to future environmental conditions.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.