NSFDEB-NERC: Phylogenomics and sensory systems evolution in silkmoths and relatives

本研究拟建立一种模式昆虫类群——蚕蛾及其亲缘昆虫科（bombyco总科）的完整系统发育，并以此来研究两种主要感觉系统：视觉和嗅觉的进化。这个为期5年的项目将建立一个美英合作伙伴关系，在5个机构中交叉授粉pi和学生，以实现以下目标：1)生成一个包含1000个分类单元、700个基因的Bombycoidea系统发育，建立一个强大的进化框架；2)量化昆虫视觉和嗅觉的两个关键器官（眼睛和触角）的感觉形态；3)重建视觉和嗅觉转导网络中基因的进化史，以测试在白天或夜间活动的物种之间，感觉形态和相关基因的选择是否会发生变化。几乎所有的动物都利用视觉或嗅觉作为主要的感觉系统。据推测，物种在光明或黑暗环境中活动的转变驱动了感觉器官的形态和相关基因的选择。然而，这一中心假设在很大程度上仍然未经检验，因为一个全面的进化框架和比较数据在很大程度上缺乏。家蚕科是鳞翅目中最显著的类群之一。它们提供了一个极好的机会来研究视觉和嗅觉这两个潜在互补的感觉系统是如何在白天和黑夜的转换中进化的，因为这个群体中的物种有不同的活动时间，不同的眼睛和触角形态以及先进的感觉基因网络。该超家族包括许多模式生物（如家蚕、雌雄家蚕），在遗传学、生理学和发育研究中起着关键作用。它们在经济上也很重要，由于体型庞大、魅力十足、易于饲养，它们经常被用作教育工具。几个全基因组的蚕虫序列的可用性提供了一个独特的机会，目标不能在许多其他无脊椎动物群体中研究的感觉基因家族。尽管它们在科学和推广中发挥着核心作用，但家蚕科仍然缺乏一个健全的系统发育。与我们在美国和英国的合作研究团队一起，我们将为这个超家族组装最大的分子数据集，并构建1000个物种的系统发育。我们的700个基因锚定富集探针集已经设计并测试了乙醇和最近收集的干标本，并且可以广泛地应用于整个秩序，并取得了很高的成功，从而使该工具对更广泛的系统发育社区有用。更广泛的影响有三个目标：(1)为加强科学提供数据和工具。分子数据和新的系统发育将打开大门，广泛的比较特征和基因进化分析的主要模式组在一个最大的多样化的全变态昆虫。我们的ODORS工具包，旨在寻找嗅觉基因，是同类非模式生物的第一个，将对科学界非常有价值。数据和结果将通过在线汇总和数据库广泛传播给科学界。(2)培养不同层次、不同背景的学生的兴趣。培养博士后2人，研究生2人，本科生11人，在校学生数十人。我们将提高STEM项目的科学素养，以少数民族学生为目标，并让仍在发展自然世界概念的年轻学生参与其中。我们还将举办关于系统基因组学、成像和基因进化的研讨会。(3)通过以博物馆为基础的外展活动，教育更广泛的社区。我们将：(a)在FLMNH举办一年一度的“飞蛾分类”活动；(b)在佛罗里达大学、杨百翰大学和新西兰国立卫生大学举办一个以瓢虫多样性和感觉系统为重点的博物馆展览；(c)创造“博物馆之夜”的体验，在夜间开放麦圭尔中心的蝴蝶雨林，让游客带着头灯看到飞行中的大型蚕蛾。

This study proposes to produce a comprehensive phylogeny of a model insect group, silkmoths and relatives (Bombycoidea) and use it to study the evolution of two principal sensory systems: vision and olfaction. The 5-year project will develop a US-UK Collaborative Partnership to cross pollinate PIs and students among 5 institutions to carry out the following objectives: 1) generate a 1000-taxon, 700-gene phylogeny of Bombycoidea to build a robust evolutionary framework; 2) quantify sensory morphology of 2 key organs (eye and antenna) that are central to insect vision and olfaction; and 3) reconstruct the evolutionary history of genes in the visual and olfactory transduction networks to test whether sensory morphology and selection on relevant genes changes between species that are active during the day or night.Nearly all animals utilize vision or olfaction as a primary sensory system. It has been presumed that species' shifts between being active in light or dark environments drives sensory organ morphology and selection on relevant genes. However, this central hypothesis remains largely untested, because a comprehensive evolutionary framework and comparative data have been largely lacking. Bombycoidea are one of the most conspicuous groups of Lepidoptera. They provide an excellent opportunity to study how 2 potentially complementary sensory systems, vision and olfaction, have evolved at day/night transitions, because species in the group have distinct activity times, diverse eye and antennal morphologies and advanced sensory gene networks. The superfamily includes many model organisms (e.g. Bombyx mori, Manduca sexta) that serve pivotal roles in studies on genetics, physiology and development. They are also economically important and are frequently used as educational tools because of their large size, charisma, and ease in rearing. The availability of several whole-genome bombycoid sequences provides a unique opportunity to target sensory gene families that cannot be studied in many other invertebrate groups. Despite their central role in science and outreach, Bombycoidea still lacks a robust phylogeny. With our collaborative research teams in the US and UK, we will assemble the largest molecular dataset for this superfamily and construct a phylogeny of 1000 species. Our 700-gene anchored enrichment probe set has been designed and tested for both ethanol and recently-collected dry specimens, and can be applied broadly across the order with high success, thereby making this tool useful to the broader phylogenetics community.The broader impacts have 3 goals: (1) Provide data and tools for the enhancement of science. The molecular data and the new phylogeny will open the door to extensive comparative character and gene-evolution analyses of a major model group within one of the largest diversifications of holometabolous insects. Our ODORS toolkit, designed to search for olfactory genes, is the first of its kind for non-model organisms, and will be extremely valuable to the scientific community. Data and results will be broadly disseminated to the scientific community via online aggregates and databases. (2) Promote interest and train students at all levels and diverse backgrounds. We will train 2 postdocs, 2 grad students, 11 undergrads, and dozens of school students. We will enhance scientific literacy in STEM programs by targeting minority students and by integrating younger students who are still developing concepts about the natural world. We will also conduct workshops on phylogenomics, imaging, and gene evolution. (3) Educate the broader community through museum-based outreach. We will: (a) Hold an annual 'Moth Sort' event at FLMNH; (b) Develop a museum exhibit focused on bombycoid diversity and sensory systems at UF, BYU and NHM; and (c) Create a "night at the museum" experience by opening the McGuire Center's Butterfly Rainforest at night to allow visitors with headlamps to see large bombycoid moths in flight.