OPUS CRS: Integrating Forty Years of Parasitism Research

寄生是普遍存在的，寄生虫有各种形状和形式，从病毒、细菌到真菌、线虫、寄生植物和无脊椎动物，如跳蚤、螨虫、虱子、臭虫，以及在其他昆虫身上产卵的小“拟寄生虫”昆虫。事实上，我们这个星球上几乎所有的物种都有相关的寄生虫，这些寄生虫塑造了它们的生物学。即使是寄生虫也有寄生虫。如果我们在更小的微观尺度上观察，几乎在每一种生物的遗传物质中都发现了DNA寄生虫。物种是如何在这种寄生的冲击中生存下来的？宿主又是如何做出反应来控制它们的？该项目的一个主要重点是研究不同生物水平上的寄生现象，并在各种各样的寄生关系中找出共同的原则。这项研究与改善农业和促进人类健康有关。该项目的第二个主要目标涉及一种被称为“类寄生虫”的寄生虫。拟寄生物是一种小昆虫，它们在其他无脊椎动物身上产卵，然后产下的幼虫以“寄主”为食并杀死它们。拟寄生物是所有昆虫中数量最多的昆虫之一，它们在控制自然界昆虫数量，包括病虫害媒介方面发挥着重要作用。一种被称为纳索尼亚黄蜂（宝石黄蜂）的寄生性类群是一种易于管理的研究和教学类群。它已成为寄生性生物学和基础研究的昆虫模型。然而，合成治疗纳索尼亚，包括主要进展和使用的系统，没有做了超过50年。为了填补这一空白，并使研究人员和教育工作者更容易使用该系统，将对Nasonia进行综合评估。这将包括方法、研究进展以及用于研究和教育的在线工具的信息。这一综述将促进对拟寄生虫的研究，并提高公众对这一非常重要但未得到充分认识的昆虫群体的认识和了解。本研究将在各种各样的寄生关系中确定共同的原则，以实现从基因组寄生虫到生态群落的综合分析。本专著中阐述的重要主题包括生物层面的选择、寄生-共生连续体、遗传冲突、进化依赖、对抗性共同进化与单向适应、共同遗传和关联的保真度、宿主防御以及宿主对寄生虫的选择。拟撰写一篇关于拟寄生物纳索蝇及其在科研和教学中的应用的综合专著。这项工作建立在首席研究员在这些和其他拟寄生物上40年的经验基础上，在此期间，纳索尼亚已经成为一种昆虫模型系统。本专著将介绍纳索尼亚和相关昆虫的生物学、遗传学、基因组学和其他资源、方法，以及纳索尼亚对科学的重大贡献，包括行为、遗传学、比较生物学、发育和共生。Nasonia也是一个优秀的高中和大学教学系统。该专著将介绍其在教学、工具和练习示例方面的用途和优势。在线资源将更新，以帮助研究人员和教师利用Nasonia。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。

Parasitism is pervasive and parasites come in all shapes and forms, from viruses, and bacteria to fungi, nematode worms, parasitic plants, and invertebrates such as fleas, mites, lice, bedbugs, and little “parasitoid” insects who lay their eggs on other insects. In fact, nearly every species on our planet has associated parasites that shape their biology. Even parasites have parasites. If we look on even smaller microscopic scales, DNA parasites are found in the genetic material of nearly every organism. How do species survive this onslaught of parasitism, and how do hosts respond to keep them in check? A major focus of this project is to investigate parasitism across different biological levels, and to identify common principles among the very diverse kinds of parasitic relationships. This research is relevant to improving agriculture and advancing human health. The second major goal of this project concerns a specific kind of parasite called “parasitoids”. Parasitoids are small insects that lay their eggs in other invertebrates, and the resulting young then feed on and kill the “host”. Parasitoids are among the most abundant of all insects, and they play a major role in controlling insect numbers in nature, including pests and disease vectors. The parasitoid group called Nasonia (jewel wasps) is a highly tractable study group for research and teaching. It has emerged as an insect model for both parasitoid biology and basic research. Yet, a synthetic treatment of Nasonia, including major advances and uses of the system, has not been done in over fifty years. To fill this gap, and to make the system more available to researchers and educators, a synthetic review of Nasonia will be conducted. This will include methods, research advances, and information on on-line tools for research and education. The review will both advance research on parasitoids, and increase public awareness and knowledge about this very important but under-recognized group of insects. This research will identify common principles among the very diverse kinds of parasitic relationships to achieve a synthetic analysis, spanning parasitism from genomic parasites to ecological communities. Important themes to be illustrated in the monograph include biological levels of selection, the parasitism-mutualism continuum, genetic conflict, evolved dependencies, antagonistic coevolution versus unidirectional adaptation, coinheritance and fidelity of association, host defenses, and cooption of parasites by hosts. A synthetic monograph will be produced on the insect parasitoid Nasonia, and its uses in research and teaching. This work builds on the principle investigator’s 40 years of experience on these and other parasitoids, during which Nasonia has emerged as an insect model system. The monograph will feature the biology of Nasonia and related insects, genetic, genomic, and other resources, methods, and significant contributions of Nasonia to science, including in behavior, genetics, comparative biology, development, and symbiosis. Nasonia is also an excellent system for teaching at the high school and college levels. The monograph will feature its uses and advantages in teaching, tools, and examples of exercises. Online resources will be updated to assist researchers and teachers in utilizing Nasonia.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.