BRC-BIO: Evolution and ecology across the mutualism-parasitism transition in leafflower plants (Phyllanthaceae) and leafflower moths (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae: Epicephala)

BRC-BIO：叶花植物（叶下珠科）和叶花蛾（鳞翅目：Gracillariidae：Epicephala）的互利共生-寄生过渡的进化和生态学

• 批准号: 2233610
• 负责人: David Hembry
• 金额: $ 50.3万
• 依托单位: University of Texas of the Permian Basin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-04-01 至 2026-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2233610&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; Evolution; ecology; across

Relationships among species in nature may vary from mutually beneficial (mutualism) to those in which individuals from one species benefits and individuals from the other species are harmed (antagonism, including parasitism). Transitions between mutualism and parasitism have evolved often. However, little is known about the biology of organisms that have undergone these transitions. Understanding this important evolutionary transition has important ramifications for medicine, agriculture, and epidemiology. This project supports research by four master’s students studying the biology of one group of insects (leafflower moths) that have evolved from mutualistic to parasitic relationships with their host plants. Student projects will study the genetics of these moths in Texas and the southeastern United States. They will also explore the diversity of bacteria associated with these moths’ caterpillars, and the biology of moths in this genus that were just discovered in Puerto Rico. Students will also train with external collaborators, and travel to a scientific conference to present their findings. The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the largest university in the Permian Basin of West Texas, with a student population that is majority-first generation college students. This project will also fund summer research experiences for five undergraduates (four from UTPB, one from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus), and for a group of UTPB undergraduates to attend a national scientific meeting in summer 2023.Transitions between mutualism and parasitism have occurred frequently throughout the Tree of Life. This proposal outlines research on the evolution and ecology of a brood pollination mutualism between leafflower plants in the family Phyllanthaceae and leafflower moths in the genus Epicephala. Interestingly, this mutualism has repeatedly broken down into parasitism. This research will gather the first data on the ways in which these parasites’ population structure evolves in response to their host diversity. It will also study the macroevolution of mutualism gain and loss in an unstudied tropical North American radiation of these plants and insects. Finally, the work will provide data on the way in which third party associates (larval microbiomes) vary with the mutualism-parasitism transition and shifts among host plant lineages. Results from this research will be readily interpreted in the context of previous work on the biology of the mutualistic congeners of these parasites in Asia and the Pacific. In doing so, this proposal will generate new data for future work on this system and develop this emerging model system in evolutionary ecology.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.

在自然界中，物种之间的关系可以从互利（互惠共生）到一个物种的个体受益而另一个物种的个体受到伤害（对抗，包括寄生）。共生和寄生之间的转变经常发生。然而，人们对经历这些转变的生物体的生物学知之甚少。理解这一重要的进化转变对医学、农业和流行病学都有重要的影响。该项目支持四名硕士生的研究，研究一组昆虫（叶蛾）的生物学，这些昆虫与宿主植物的关系从互惠进化到寄生。学生项目将研究这些蛾在德克萨斯州和美国东南部的遗传学。他们还将探索与这些蛾毛虫有关的细菌的多样性，以及刚刚在波多黎各发现的这种蛾属的生物学。学生还将与外部合作者一起培训，并参加科学会议以展示他们的发现。德克萨斯州二叠纪盆地大学（UTPB）是一所西班牙裔服务机构，也是西德克萨斯州二叠纪盆地最大的大学，学生人口主要是第一代大学生。该项目还将资助五名本科生（四名来自UTPB，一名来自波多黎各大学，Río Piedras校区）的夏季研究经验，以及一组UTPB本科生参加2023年夏季的全国科学会议。本文概述了余甘子科植物与顶头蛾属植物之间的亲巢传粉互惠关系的进化和生态学研究。有趣的是，这种互利共生关系一再被分解为寄生关系。这项研究将收集关于这些寄生虫的种群结构如何响应其宿主多样性而演变的第一批数据。它还将研究这些植物和昆虫在未经研究的热带北美辐射中互利共生的获得和损失的宏观进化。最后，这项工作将提供数据的方式，第三方联营公司（幼虫微生物组）的互惠寄生过渡和宿主植物谱系之间的变化。这项研究的结果将很容易解释的背景下，以前的生物学工作的互惠同源的这些寄生虫在亚洲和太平洋。在这样做的过程中，该提案将为该系统的未来工作产生新的数据，并在进化生态学中开发这种新兴的模型系统。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知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。