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

自然界中物种之间的关系可能从互利（互惠）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）。互惠主义和寄生主义之间的过渡经常发生。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、农业和流行病学具有重要影响。该项目支持四名硕士生的研究，他们研究一种昆虫（叶蛾）的生物学，这种昆虫已经从与宿主植物的互惠关系进化为寄生关系。学生项目将研究德克萨斯州和美国东南部这些飞蛾的遗传学。他们还将探索与这些飞蛾幼虫相关的细菌多样性，以及刚刚在波多黎各发现的这种飞蛾的生物学。学生们还将与外部合作者一起培训，并前往科学会议展示他们的发现。德克萨斯大学二叠纪盆地（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，学生人数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）的夏季研究经历，并资助一组UTPB本科生参加2023年夏季的国家科学会议。在整个生命之树中，互惠和寄生之间的过渡经常发生。本文概述了叶兰科叶花植物与叶花飞蛾之间的一种亲代传粉互助关系的进化和生态学研究。有趣的是，这种互惠主义一再分解为寄生。这项研究将收集有关这些寄生虫的种群结构如何根据其宿主多样性而进化的第一批数据。它还将研究这些植物和昆虫在未研究的北美热带辐射中互惠共生的得失的宏观进化。最后，这项工作将提供第三方关联物（幼虫微生物组）随着寄主植物谱系之间的共生-寄生过渡和转变而变化的方式的数据。这项研究的结果将很容易在先前关于这些寄生虫在亚洲和太平洋的共生同系物的生物学工作的背景下得到解释。在此过程中，该建议将为该系统的未来工作提供新的数据，并在进化生态学中发展这一新兴模型系统。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。

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.