Genetics of adaptation in colourful poison frogs

彩色毒蛙的适应遗传学

• 批准号: 263544360
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Heike Pröhl
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Zoologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2013-12-31 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/263544360?language=en
• 关键词: Genetics; adaptation; colourful; poison; frogs

The genetics of colouration has been studied in mammals, birds, fish and reptiles but studies on amphibians are scarce. Besides extensive variability in colour pattern nothing is known about the underlying genetic components involved in creating colour diversity within and among amphibian species. In this context the diversity of colouration patterns linked to predator avoidance strategies in Neotropical poison frogs is an exciting opportunity to study the genetics of ecological adaptation. Poison frogs differ in colouration patterns among populations and strong evidence exists that colouration is adaptive, probably driven by predator selection. Divergence in adaptive colouration, behaviour and toxicity in combination with assortative mating (by colour) very likely contributes to the formation of prezygotic isolation mechanisms among colour morphs. The objective of this proposal is to characterize the colouration genes for the extremely colour polymorphic Neotropical strawberry poison frog Oophaga. pumilio. In this frog bright aposematic as well as duller cryptic colour morphs are present in different Panamanian populations. For this project I will collect skin samples from three populations diverged in colour patterns: a red one, a green one and a blue one. I will perform RNAseq analysis to obtain dorsal skin-derived cDNA. cDNA samples will be send to a sequencing service that will perform next generation sequencing to analyse differences in expression levels in genes involved in colouration. I expect that genes involved in the carotenoid /pteridine uptake, synthesis or storage differ in their expression level among colour morphs. I will confirm results for loci with significant expression differences by performing quantitative Real time-RT-PCR (RT=reverse transcription). Thus, I will determine the key gene expression differences underlying colour variation in this species. This critical information will be of major interest in its own right, as it will identify which parts of the molecular pathways to pigment formation are evolving adaptively in this species. It will also open up many interesting avenues for future investigation that will lead to a better understanding of causes and consequences of adaptive colouration.

在哺乳动物，鸟类，鱼类和爬行动物中已经研究了颜色的遗传学，但对两栖动物的研究很少。除了颜色模式的广泛差异外，还没有关于在两栖动物内部和两栖动物中涉及的基本遗传成分的了解。在这种情况下，与新热带毒物青蛙中的捕食者回避策略相关的着色模式的多样性是研究生态适应遗传学的激动人心的机会。毒蛙在人群的色彩模式上有所不同，有力的证据表明着色是适应性的，这可能是由捕食者选择驱动的。自适应着色，行为和毒性与分类交配（按颜色）结合使用的差异很可能有助于形成颜色形态之间的前卵形分离机制。该提案的目的是表征极其色彩多态性草莓毒药青蛙Oophaga的颜色基因。 Pumilio。 在这种青蛙中，在不同的巴拿马人群中存在明亮的载体和暗淡的隐性色。对于这个项目，我将从三个颜色模式不同的种群中收集皮肤样本：红色，绿色和蓝色。我将执行RNASEQ分析以获得背皮衍生的cDNA。 cDNA样品将被发送到测序服务，该服务将执行下一代测序，以分析涉及色素基因表达水平的差异。我期望与类胡萝卜素 /翼丁摄取，合成或储存量有关的基因在颜色变体之间的表达水平有所不同。我将通过执行定量实时RT-PCR（RT =逆转录）来确认具有显着表达差异的基因座的结果。因此，我将确定该物种颜色变化的关键基因表达差异。这些关键信息本身将引起重大兴趣，因为它将确定在该物种中适应色素形成的分子途径的哪些部分。它还将为未来的调查开放许多有趣的途径，这将使人们对自适应颜色的原因和后果有更好的了解。