Genetic, chemical and behavioral investigation of sexual signaling evolution in parasitoid wasps

寄生蜂性信号进化的遗传、化学和行为研究

• 批准号: 427879779
• 负责人: Dr. Jan Büllesbach
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Evolution und Biodiversität (IEB)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2018-12-31 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/427879779?language=en
• 关键词: Genetic; chemical; behavioral; investigation; sexual

One of the most important questions in evolutionary biology is how new species potentially originate. The development and maintenance of barriers to interspecific reproduction has been postulated to be the major driving force of speciation. Generally, two main barrier types can be differentiated according to their function in reproductive isolation either before (prezygotic) or after (postzygotic) formation of an interspecific zygote. In the insect model system Nasonia, a complex of parasitoid jewel wasp species of considerable agricultural importance as selective biological pest control, well-investigated postzygotic reproductive isolation contrasts far less understood prezygotic reproductive isolation. Ubiquitous infections with species-specific Wolbachia bacteria largely prevent hybridizations between the four hitherto described species. However, after antibiotic treatment of the Wolbachia infections, the different Nasonia species regain the ability to hybridize. This not only indicates experimentally accessible and surmountable prezygotic isolation, but also constitutes an extremely useful research tool for studying the genetic architecture of complex adaptive trait differences between the species. My previous studies demonstrated that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) in the Nasonia species complex can function as species-specific female sex pheromones distinguishable by the males, hinting at incipient prezygotic isolation. Curiously though, in one species, I discovered an apparently recent evolutionary leap that shifted the female CHC profiles out of the males’ perceptive range, which, in turn, still retain a potentially ancestral attraction to CHC profiles of females from other species. We now have the unique opportunity to track this highly unusual evolutionary shift genetically, phenotypically and behaviourally to unravel the key signaling compounds and obtain a holistic view on the underlying mechanisms. We will combine analytical chemistry, behavioral assays, quantitative genetics and functional genomics to identify the components of the CHC profiles that mediate the female sex pheromone function, determine the genetic basis of the sex pheromonal function and analyze the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that have led to its differentiation between the four Nasonia species.

进化生物学中最重要的问题之一是新物种是如何起源的。种间繁殖障碍的发展和维持被认为是物种形成的主要驱动力。一般来说，两种主要的障碍类型可以根据它们在种间合子形成之前（合子前）或之后（合子后）的生殖隔离中的功能来区分。在昆虫模型系统Nasonia，一个复杂的寄生性宝石黄蜂物种的相当大的农业重要性，作为选择性生物害虫防治，充分调查后合子生殖隔离对比少得多的理解前合子生殖隔离。种特异性沃尔巴克氏体细菌的普遍感染在很大程度上阻止了迄今为止描述的四个种之间的杂交。然而，在沃尔巴克氏体感染的抗生素治疗后，不同的纳索尼亚物种恢复了杂交的能力。这不仅表明实验上可获得的和可克服的前合子隔离，但也构成了一个非常有用的研究工具，研究物种之间的复杂适应性状差异的遗传结构。我以前的研究表明，表皮碳氢化合物（CHC）在Nasonia物种复合体可以作为物种特异性的女性性信息素区分的男性，暗示在早期的前合子隔离。奇怪的是，在一个物种中，我发现了一个显然是最近的进化飞跃，将雌性CHC轮廓转移到雄性的感知范围之外，反过来，仍然保留着对其他物种雌性CHC轮廓的潜在祖先吸引力。我们现在有独特的机会从遗传学、表型和行为学上追踪这种极不寻常的进化转变，以解开关键的信号化合物，并获得对潜在机制的整体看法。我们将结合联合收割机分析化学，行为测定，定量遗传学和功能基因组学，以确定的CHC配置文件的组件，介导的女性性信息素功能，确定性信息素功能的遗传基础，并分析的分子和进化机制，导致其分化的四个纳苏尼亚物种。