NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2022: Male/female reversal and the ecological implications of plasticity in development

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。植物或动物发育的生殖器官和特征的类型可能受到环境和遗传因素的共同影响。在不断变化的环境中，雄性/雌性发育的变异性，例如雄性/雌性的颠倒，可能会使一个物种或多或少地容易受到环境变化的影响。这项研究将调查男性/女性发育中可塑性的原因和后果，并为物种可能如何应对环境变化提供洞察。这位研究员将使用桡足类进行这项研究，这是一种丰富的具有环境和经济重要性的水生生物。对这些特征的研究将从有意包容的角度进行。拟议的研究将彻底检查x基因对雄性/雌性发育的影响，以及这种发育的分子机制。虽然已经观察到从雄性到雌性的变化，但亲缘棘豆的雄性/雌性发育机制尚不清楚。慈竹也是栖息地扩展的模式系统，种群已经从海洋环境适应到淡水环境。与生殖器官相关的性状变异将在适应一系列盐度的自然种群中进行调查。实验室等值线群体将被用来追踪环境扰动如何影响这些性状的发展，可能出现在雄性/雌性反转。将对整个男性/女性发育过程中已识别的形态和转录组进行基因组测序，以确定可能决定男性/女性发育差异的决定基因和分子途径。总之，这项研究将为理解男性/女性发育的敏感性以及环境变化影响这些表型的机制提供一个框架。这一奖项反映了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. The type of reproductive organs and traits a plant or animal develops can be influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Variability in male/female development across changing environments, such as male/female reversal, may make a species more or less vulnerability to changes in the environment. This research will investigate the causes and consequences of plasticity in male/female development and provide insight into how species may respond to environmental changes. The Fellow will use copepods for this study, which are abundant aquatic organisms of environmental and economic importance. Investigation of these traits will be conducted from an intentionally inclusive perspective.The proposed research will conduct a thorough examination of gene x environmental influences on male/female development and the molecular mechanisms of this development in the copepod E. affinis. Mechanisms of male/female development are unknown for E. affinis, although changes from male to female have been observed. E. affinis is also a model system of habitat expansion with populations that have adapted from marine to freshwater environments. Variation in traits associated with reproductive organs will be investigated in natural populations adapted to a range of salinities. Lab isoline populations will be used to track how environmental perturbation influences the development of these traits, potentially arising in male/female reversal. Genome sequencing of identified morphs and transcriptomics throughout male/female development will be applied to identify putative determination genes and the molecular pathways that may contribute to variation in male/female development. Together, this research will provide a framework for understanding the sensitivity of male/female development and the mechanisms through which environmental changes can influence these phenotypes.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.