CAREER: Alterations in Marine Bivalve Shell Formation by Environmental Stress

贝类用壳来保护自己免受捕食者的攻击，并从水中获取营养。贝壳之所以坚硬，是因为其中的化合物比岩石还要坚硬。然而，在成壳过程中，壳体的韧性容易受到环境条件的影响。当壳的形成发生在不利的条件下，比如高二氧化碳浓度或低盐度的水中，壳就会变得脆弱。由于对贝壳的影响，一些具有高市场价值的贝类，如牡蛎的产量可能会在沿海地区下降。本CAREER提案的研究目标是从遗传水平上了解CO2和水的盐度如何改变东部牡蛎的壳形成，从而找到一种方法来帮助牡蛎克服壳形成过程中的环境影响。本研究结果将应用于墨西哥湾的牡蛎养殖。该项目还将有助于海岸贝类栖息地的恢复。此外，该项目还将通过该项目的教育目标，对德克萨斯州农工大学科珀斯克里斯蒂分校历史上代表性不足的科学群体的学生进行培训。该项目还将为社区大学学生提供研究机会，并为初中/高中科学教师提供生物科学研究机会。众所周知，双壳类动物的早期壳发育易受环境胁迫的影响，但对双壳类动物在壳发育过程中对环境变化的遗传反应了解甚少。本项目的研究目标是确定海洋酸化（OA）和盐度波动下双壳类贝壳形成改变的分子机制。本文提出的方法是：1)通过测量牡蛎壳的形态变化、分析贝壳成分的变化、鉴定贝壳基质蛋白产生的变化，来表征牡蛎壳在OA和盐度波动胁迫下的变化；2)利用东牡蛎套膜组织原代细胞培养物进行转录组学分析和钙成像，确定了牡蛎壳形成对OA和盐度胁迫响应的信号通路；3)通过诱变和转基因菌株的培育，提高东牡蛎壳形成对环境影响的耐受性。拟议项目的教育目标是增加高等教育和生物研究的多样性，特别注重鼓励西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生在STEM领域攻读高级学位。方法将是1)为本科生和研究生创建一个创新的班级，其中包括多个校外专家和教学和学生学习成果评估设施；2)为本科生和社区学院学生提供研究机会；3)组织初高中学生暑期生物科学课和中小学教师教育实训课。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。

Shellfishes use shells to protect themselves from predators and obtain nutrients from the water. Shells are tough since the compounds in them are harder than rocks. However, the toughness of shells can be easily affected by environmental conditions during the shell formation. Shells can become fragile when the shell formation occursin adverse conditions, such as high carbon dioxide (CO2) level or low salinity in water. With the effects on shells, the production of some shellfish species with high market values, such as the oysters, will be possibly declined in the coastal areas. The research goal of this CAREER proposal is to understand how the CO2 and salinity of water modify the Eastern oyster shell formation from a genetic level so that a method to help the oysters overcome the environmental effects during the shell formation. The result of this study will be applied to oyster aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. The project will also help with restoration of shellfish habitats on the coast. In addition, the project will involve the training of students from historically underrepresented groups in science at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi via the educational goals of the project. The project will also provides research opportunities to community college students, as well as research opportunities for middle/high school science teachers in the biological sciences.It is well known that the shell development during the early life stages of bivalves is vulnerable to environmental stressors, but there is little understanding of the genetic responses of bivalves to environmental changes during shell development. The research goal of this CAREER project is to determine the molecular mechanisms by which bivalve shell formation is altered under ocean acidification (OA) and salinity fluctuation. The proposed approach is to 1) characterize changes in oyster shells under the stress of OA and salinity fluctuation by measuring the shell morphological changes, analyzing changes in shell composition, and identifying changes in matrix protein production of the shells; 2) identify the signaling pathway for shell formation response to OA and salinity stress by conducting transcriptomic analysis and calcium imaging with the primary cell cultures from the mantle tissue of the Eastern oyster; and 3) enhance the tolerance of the Eastern oyster shell formation to the environmental impacts by creating mutagenesis and transgenic strains. The education goals of the proposed project are to increase diversity in higher education and biological research, focusing particularly on encouraging Hispanic/Latino students to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields. The approach will be to 1) create an innovative class for undergraduate and graduate students that involves multiple off-campus experts and facilities in teaching and student-learning outcome assessment; 2) providing research opportunities to undergraduate students and community college students; and 3) organizing a summer biological science section for middle/high school students and a training section for elementary/middle school teacher education.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.