The evolutionary mechanisms optimizing neural circuit structure and function for skylight navigation across insect species

优化昆虫物种天窗导航神经回路结构和功能的进化机制

• 批准号: 430155144
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Katja Nowick
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Biologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Priority Programmes
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/430155144?language=en
• 关键词: evolutionary; mechanisms; optimizing; neural; circuit

Insects are the most diverse group within the animal kingdom and provide both important ecological and economic benefit. For successful hunting, foraging, or dispersal, most free-living insects rely on considerable navigation skills, for which they use different visual stimuli, like celestial bodies and skylight polarization. Despite great morphological diversity of insect eyes, recent data revealed that their retinal mosaics show remarkable similarities across species. While systematic morphological characterization has identified retinal detectors for polarized skylight in virtually all insects analyzed, it remains unknown whether specification of these structures and their underlying neural circuitry are in fact evolutionarily conserved. Moreover, it is unknown how their structure (connectivity) and function (computation) are adapted to the diverse ecological niches of different insect species.In this proposal, we are planning to test three hypotheses:(1) The molecular mechanism for specifying polarized skylight detectors is conserved across insects(2) Variations in the transcription factor network adapt this detector system to species-specific demands(3) Gene products expressed specifically in downstream circuit elements shape evolutionarily conserved neural networks. We will use the molecular genetic tools available in Drosophila in combination with different bioinformatics methods, to compare regulatory sequences, transcription factor binding sites, transcription factor networks, and gene expression profiles across insects. These experiments will reveal evolutionarily conserved mechanisms as well as species-specific adaptations behind the formation of neural circuits for insect skylight navigation.

昆虫是动物界中种类最多的一类，具有重要的生态和经济效益。为了成功地狩猎、觅食或扩散，大多数自由生活的昆虫依赖于相当大的导航技能，它们使用不同的视觉刺激，如天体和天光偏振。尽管昆虫眼睛的形态差异很大，但最近的数据显示，它们的视网膜马赛克在不同物种之间表现出惊人的相似性。虽然系统的形态特征已经在几乎所有被分析的昆虫中确定了偏振天光的视网膜探测器，但仍不清楚这些结构及其潜在神经电路的规范是否实际上在进化上是保守的。此外，尚不清楚它们的结构(连通性)和功能(计算)如何适应不同昆虫物种的不同生态位。在这个建议中，我们计划检验三个假设：(1)指定偏振天光探测器的分子机制在昆虫中是保守的(2)转录因子网络中的变异使该探测器系统适应物种特定的需求(3)在下游电路元件中特异表达的基因产物形成进化保守的神经网络。我们将利用果蝇可用的分子遗传学工具，结合不同的生物信息学方法，比较昆虫的调控序列、转录因子结合部位、转录因子网络和基因表达谱。这些实验将揭示昆虫天窗导航神经回路形成背后的进化保守机制和物种特有的适应。