NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Characterizing the role of Wolbachia in an insect vector-virus pathosystem

该行动资助了2021财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，即调查基因组，环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则的综合研究。该研究金支持研究员的研究和培训，以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。取食汁液的昆虫具有一系列可遗传的共生体，这些共生体提供重要的生态效益，包括营养获取或防御天敌。取食植物汁液的昆虫也可以传播植物病原体，这些病原体有时可以帮助昆虫克服植物的免疫反应，并进一步降低植物的适合度。越来越多的研究表明，昆虫共生体影响昆虫介导的植物病毒的传播。使用一个易于处理的蚜虫模型，研究员试图调查共生体，沃尔巴克氏体，如何影响香蕉蚜虫，Pentalonia nigronervosa的生物学，以及其传播植物病原体香蕉束顶病毒的能力。研究员将使用跨学科的方法来确定沃尔巴克氏体如何影响媒介生态和香蕉束顶病毒传播动态。这项工作将扩大我们对普遍存在和多方面的沃尔巴克氏体的理解，但它也可能为减轻疾病提供见解。该研究员将接受荧光和电子显微镜、下一代测序、比较基因组学、转录组学和相关生物信息学分析方面的培训;该项目还为提高代表性不足群体的个人参与STEM创造了机会。这项工作旨在了解共生体和载体植物病原体可能重叠的界面，以及可能发展动态相互作用并影响多营养社区的结果。一个系统，提供了一个独特的机会，以弥补这一知识差距是完全无性香蕉蚜虫，Pentalonia，其中大多数人港HFS沃尔巴克氏体，是唯一的载体，经济上重要的植物病原体称为香蕉束顶病毒（BBTV）。尽管是最广泛和最好的研究共生体，沃尔巴克氏体在蚜虫中的作用很少被调查。研究员将使用工程蚜虫系进行操纵实验，首先了解沃尔巴克氏体在香蕉蚜虫中的功能作用，并明确研究沃尔巴克氏体是否影响媒介能力和BBTV传播动态。要链接模式与过程中，显微镜技术将被用来本地化沃尔巴克氏体和BBTV，和分子检测，以量化组织特异性丰度至关重要的蚜虫内生态的这种相互作用。该研究员将使用“组学方法将沃尔巴克氏体的多样性表型与潜在的管理机制联系起来;对不同背景（包括来自国际场所）的高中和小学学生的推广将为未来的科学家创造途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the Fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Sap-feeding insects harbor an array of heritable symbionts that provide important ecological benefits including nutrient acquisition or defense against natural enemies. Sap-feeding insects can also vector plant pathogens, which sometimes help their insect vector overcome plant immune responses, and further depress plant fitness. A growing number of studies indicate that insect symbionts influence transmission of insect-vectored plant viruses. Using a tractable aphid model, the Fellow seeks to investigate how the symbiont, Wolbachia, impacts the biology of the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa, and its ability to vector the plant pathogen banana bunchy top virus. The Fellow will use an interdisciplinary approach to determine how Wolbachia impacts vector ecology and banana bunchy top virus transmission dynamics. This work will broaden our understanding of the ubiquitous and multifaceted Wolbachia, but it may also provide insights into disease mitigation. The Fellow will receive training in fluorescent and electron microscopy, next-generation sequencing, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and associated bioinformatic analyses; the project also creates opportunities to increase STEM participation by individuals from underrepresented groups.This work seeks to understand the interface where symbionts and vectored plant pathogens may overlap and where dynamic interactions may develop with outcomes affecting multi-trophic communities. A system that provides a unique opportunity to bridge this knowledge gap is the entirely asexual banana aphid, Pentalonia, in which most individuals harbor the HFS Wolbachia, and is the sole vector of an economically important plant pathogen called banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). Despite being the most widespread and best-studied symbiont, Wolbachia’s role in aphids has rarely been investigated. The Fellow will conduct manipulative experiments using engineered aphid lines to first understand the functional role of Wolbachia in banana aphids, and to explicitly examine whether Wolbachia impacts vector competency and BBTV transmission dynamics. To link pattern with process, microscopy techniques will be used to localize Wolbachia and BBTV, and molecular assays to quantify tissue-specific abundances vital to the within-aphid ecology of this interaction. The Fellow will use ‘omics approaches to link Wolbachia’s diverse phenotypes with potential governing mechanisms; outreach to high school and elementary school students of diverse backgrounds (including from international venues) will create pathways for future scientists.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.