NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Pleiotropic Role and Fitness Consequences of Single Genes in Mexican Cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus)

这一行动为NSF 2022财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，综合研究调查了基因组、环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训，这些研究员将以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。洞穴是极端的环境，通常以低氧、有限的养分供应和完全黑暗为特征。墨西哥文昌鱼(Astianax Micianus)以地表栖息地和洞穴种群的形式存在，表现出对洞穴生活的适应，包括新陈代谢改变、视力下降、睡眠时间和色素沉着。利用携带影响洞穴相关性状的候选基因突变的表层鱼类，这位研究员将研究单基因的多性状影响及其对洞穴环境中生存的影响。这项研究将制作单基因的基因-性状和基因-适合度图谱，并将揭示多效性基因在适应极端洞穴环境中的作用。该研究员将利用主办机构的本科生研究活动(包括基于课程的研究经验)，使STEM学科中代表性不足的群体的学生受益。为了了解单基因的多性状影响，该研究员将测量携带三个候选多效性基因突变的表层鱼类的洞穴相关特征，包括睡眠结构、黑素细胞的大小和数量、新陈代谢、耐缺氧能力和昼夜节律。在喂食和不喂食的条件下，将测量特征，以检查食物供应的可塑性，这被认为在洞穴环境中会减少。候选基因适合度的影响将在一个自给自足的人造洞穴中通过标记重新捕获现场实验来检验。整个野外实验的存活率和身体状况将被用来评估每个突变体的健康状况。将产生具有进化建模预测能力的选择系数。这位研究员将接受生理和行为分析以及基因编辑技术方面的培训。为了扩大对科学的参与，该研究员将1)培训来自不同背景的本科生进行研究，包括生理和行为分析、基因编辑技术和计算生物学，以及2)在博士后、研究生和本科生之间实施分级指导计划。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, 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. Caves are extreme environments and are often characterized by low oxygen, limited nutrient availability, and complete darkness. Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus) exist as surface dwelling and cave populations that exhibit adaptation to cave living including altered metabolism, reduced eyesight, sleep duration, and pigmentation. Using surface fish carrying mutations for candidate genes that impact cave-related traits, the Fellow will examine the multi-trait impact of single genes and their consequences on survival in the cave environment. This research will produce a genotype-to-trait and genotype-to-fitness map for single genes and will inform the role of pleiotropic genes in adaptation to the extreme cave environment. The Fellow will leverage undergraduate research activities at the hosting institution (including a course-based research experience) that benefit students from groups underrepresented in STEM disciplines. To understand the multi-trait impacts of single genes, the Fellow will measure cave-related traits including sleep architecture, melanophore size and number, metabolism, hypoxia tolerance, and circadian rhythms in surface fish carrying mutations for three candidate pleiotropic genes. Traits will be measured under fed and unfed conditions to examine plasticity in response to food availability, which is thought to be reduced in the cave environment. Candidate gene fitness impacts will be examined using a mark-recapture field experiment in a self-contained man-made cave. Survival and body condition throughout the field experiment will be used to assess fitness of each mutant. Selection coefficients with predictive capability for evolutionary modeling will be produced. The Fellow will be trained in physiological and behavioral assays and gene editing techniques. To broaden participation in science, the Fellow will 1) train undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in research including physiological and behavioral assays, gene editing techniques, and computational biology, and 2) implement a tiered mentorship program among postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students.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.