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

由于全球变暖、海洋酸化和冰架崩塌的可能性的综合影响，南极海底海洋无脊椎动物群落目前正在经历迅速的环境变化。被称为苔藓虫的群体无脊椎动物创造了特殊的“礁石状”栖息地，让人想起热带海洋环境中的珊瑚礁。在南极，这些苔藓动物群落占据了浅海和深海海底的很大一部分，为其他海洋动物提供了栖息地。组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。将多个南极苔藓虫的DNA数据与相关暖水物种的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同适应特征。此外，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。 讲习班将培训不同的科学家群体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。实现这些目标需要在系统发育框架中详细研究各种生物体的基因组规模数据。这项研究结合了多方面的计算和功能的方法，涉及分析无脊椎生物的基因进化，被称为苔藓虫或外肛。此外，苔藓虫与其他类群的结果的共性将通过比较新产生的数据，在以前的研讨会上产生的测试。这项研究的具体目标包括：1）使用苔藓动物的转录组学和基因组学数据鉴定参与适应南极海洋环境的基因，以测试系统发育框架中的阳性选择基因，2）实验测试鉴定的候选酶，（特别是那些参与钙信号传导，糖酵解，柠檬酸循环和细胞骨架）的证据冷适应，3）举办计算讲习班，旨在培训科学家掌握识别对极地和其他不同环境的遗传适应的技术。这项工作为快速变化的南极环境中生命的分子规则提供了重要的见解，并为了解南极类群如何应对未来的环境条件提供了重要信息。该奖项反映了NSF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.