CAREER: Landscape genomics of co-evolution: a test in carpenter ants (Genus Camponotus) and their microbial symbionts

职业：共同进化的景观基因组学：木蚁（弓背蚁属）及其微生物共生体的测试

• 批准号: 2238571
• 负责人: Joseph Manthey
• 金额: $ 106.88万
• 依托单位: Texas Tech University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-05-15 至 2028-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2238571&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Landscape; genomics; co; evolution

Interactions with positive impacts for both organisms—mutualisms—shape the ecology and evolution of many taxa. Across a landscape, evolution of mutualists may be shaped by environmental characteristics; however, little research has quantified how co-distributed mutualist pairs exhibit similar or different coevolutionary dynamics across the landscape. Using co-distributed North American carpenter ants and their mutualist microbial symbionts, the researchers will quantify whether mutualist pairs with overlapping geographic ranges are codiversifying and coevolving in similar manners, as measured by convergent or divergent genetic patterns. Consequently, this project will provide insight about how environmental pressures shape evolutionary patterns and processes in mutualists. The specimens, genomic data, and results generated by this project will be used to improve STEM education; educational components include (1) formal undergraduate and graduate training in genomics research, (2) development and expansion of research-focused genomics and molecular ecology courses at Texas Tech University, and (3) museum-based educational materials at the Museum of Texas Tech University, including both an exhibit and educational traveling trunks. The research team will test hypotheses about comparative patterns of codiversification and coevolution and their predictability in ant hosts and their endosymbionts. Using whole-genome sequence data from carpenter ant hosts (genus Camponotus) and their endosymbionts (genus Blochmannia) across the landscape of North America, the researchers will measure genetic variation in both mutualist partners to (1) characterize associations between ant / symbiont genotypes and the environment using landscape genomics techniques and (2) test hypotheses about coevolution of ant and endosymbiont genomes and whether coevolutionary local adaptation is predictable. The project’s final products will include deposition of thousands of specimens in natural history collections, open genomic resources for several species of carpenter ants and their bacterial endosymbionts, science communication of results via presentations and manuscripts, and student training in all aspects of the research including field studies, genomic sequence generation, bioinformatics, and dissemination.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.

对这两种生物都有积极影响的相互作用--互惠关系--塑造了许多类群的生态和进化。在整个景观中，互助者的进化可能会受到环境特征的影响；然而，很少有研究量化共同分布的互助者对如何在整个景观中表现出相似或不同的共同进化动态。利用共同分布的北美木蚁和它们的互惠微生物共生体，研究人员将量化地理范围重叠的互惠共生对是否以相似的方式共同多样化和共同进化，这是通过趋同或分歧的遗传模式来衡量的。因此，这个项目将提供关于环境压力如何塑造互助者的进化模式和过程的洞察力。该项目产生的标本、基因组数据和结果将用于改善STEM教育；教育部分包括(1)正规的本科生和研究生基因组研究培训，(2)开发和扩大德克萨斯理工大学以研究为重点的基因组学和分子生态学课程，以及(3)德克萨斯理工大学博物馆的博物馆教育材料，包括展览和教育旅行箱。研究小组将测试关于共同多样化和共同进化的比较模式的假设，以及它们在蚂蚁宿主及其内共生体中的可预测性。利用北美各地木蚁宿主(Camponotus属)及其内共生体(Blochmannius属)的全基因组序列数据，研究人员将测量这两个互惠伙伴的遗传变异，以(1)利用景观基因组学技术表征蚂蚁/共生体基因类型与环境之间的关联，(2)测试关于蚂蚁和内共生体基因组共同进化的假设，以及共同进化的局部适应是否可预测。该项目的最终产品将包括在自然历史收藏中保存数千个标本，开放几种木蚁及其细菌内共生体的基因组资源，通过演示文稿和手稿进行结果的科学交流，以及在研究的各个方面对学生进行培训，包括实地研究、基因组序列生成、生物信息学和传播。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。