REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND POPULATION GENETICS OF CORALS

拟议的研究旨在解决两个具体领域 目前正在调查：1)环境的影响 污染物对受精、胚胎发育、招募的影响 (沉降和变态)和吸收藻类共生体 大量产卵的珊瑚；以及2)它们之间的遗传关系 同域珊瑚种类及其杂交的遗传基础 这些共生物种。这两个相关的研究领域是 持续研究工作的建议重点并反映结果 根据先前资助的NIH/MBR完成的研究 程序。将进行这些兼容研究，以测试 以下假设：1)某些生殖和生活史阶段 的珊瑚比其他珊瑚对环境毒素更敏感；2) 共生藻类加入珊瑚新成员受到以下影响 既有遗传因素又有环境因素；3)天然杂交具有 在珊瑚多样化方面发挥了作用。三个假说 将使用卵子、精子、幼虫和选定的组织进行测试 大量产卵的珊瑚种类。第一个假设将依赖于 研究选定的杀虫剂和 多环芳烃(PAH‘s)在成年珊瑚、卵精子上的分布 相互作用、幼虫发育和变态诱导。这个 第二个假设将通过非生物珊瑚新兵和 从同种珊瑚以及不同种类的珊瑚中提取的虫黄藻 在水质发生变化的情况下。基因 问题将使用随机扩增多态性DNA来解决 (随机扩增多态性DNA)以识别特定的标记。建议的研究是 旨在解决重新引起环境影响的问题 污染物，繁殖，变质诱导，细胞 识别以及生物体之间的遗传关系，其中 卵子和精子的相互作用可以通过实验进行操纵。 无脊椎动物模型允许进行不容易进行的实验 高等生物，具有可解释应用的结果 了解人类健康和遗传学的各个方面。

The proposed research is intended to address two specific areas presently under investigation: 1) the effects of environmental contaminants on fertilization, embryological development, recruitment (settlement and metamorphosis) and uptake of algal symbionts of mass-spawning corals; and 2) the genetic relationships among sympatric coral species and the genetic basis for hybridization among these sympatric species. These two related areasof study are the proposed focus of a continuing research effort and reflect the results of research accomplished under the previously funded NIH/MBRS program. These compatible studies will be undertaken to test the following hypotheses: 1) Certain reproductive and life-history stages of corals are more sensitive to environmental toxins than others; 2) The incorportion of symbiotic algae into coral recruits is affected by both genetic and environmental factors; 3) Natural hybridization has played a role in the diversification of corals. The three hypotheses will be tested using eggs, sperm, larvae, and tissue from selected species of mass-spawning corals. The first hypothesis will rely on bioassays investigating the effects of selected pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) on adult corals, egg-sperm interactions, larval development, and metamorphic induction. The second hypothesis will be tested using asymbiotic coral recruits and zooxanthellae extracted from conspecifics as well as corals of different genera, and under conditions of altered water quality. The genetic questions will be addressed using Random Amplified Dpolymorphic DNA (RAPD's) to identify specific markers. The proposed reserch is designed to address questions regrding the effects of environmental contaminants, reproduction, metamorphic induction, cellular recognition, as well as genetic relationships among organisms where egg-sperm interactions can be experimentally manipulated. Invertebrate models allow for experimentation not easily performed on higher organisms, with results that can be interpreted for application to understanding aspects of human health and genetics.