Genome Mapping Resources for the Budgerigar

衰老的自由基理论假设细胞内的有氧活动产生活性氧，导致大分子损伤，这是生物体衰老（衰老）的潜在因素。然而，氧化应激增加对寿命影响的分子基础仍然知之甚少。增加我们对自然抗氧化应激的生物学基础的认识是虎皮鹦鹉，波状虎皮鹦鹉。虎皮鹦鹉是一种会飞的鸟，它的特点是异常长寿，尽管它的代谢率很高，因此暴露于氧化应激。使用虎皮鹦鹉作为研究衰老生物学的模式物种的其他理由包括作为宠物的广泛可用性，对其生理和营养需求的广泛了解，以及繁殖周期短和潜在的大型家庭。然而，尽管如此，由于我们对它的基因组知之甚少，它在研究氧化应激等某些机制的分子基础方面的应用受到了限制。这些知识将有助于使用比较基因组学的新兴工具来识别虎皮鹦鹉对氧化应激的特殊抵抗的基因。为了解决这一基因组信息匮乏的问题，我们建议在本R03项目中开发构建虎牙基因组图谱所需的资源和基因组试剂。将开发的资源包括回传参考面板和基于基于地图的鸡、鹌鹑和火鸡标记的跨物种扩增的DNA标记。在随后的R01项目中，开发的资源将导致构建具有强烈老年学兴趣的模式生物的第一个基因组图谱。地图将有助于应用反向遗传学的工具来识别虎皮鹦鹉抵抗氧化应激的基因，或使用比较基因组学与更密切相关（与哺乳动物相比）但寿命较短的鸟类，包括鹌鹑和鸡，来识别这些基因。该项目将允许开发一个协调和有指导的虎皮鹦鹉基因组图谱项目，该项目由一位在鸟类基因组学方面具有强大背景的遗传学家和一位在使用动物模型（包括鸟类）进行衰老研究方面具有丰富经验的生物学家领导。

The free radical theory of aging postulates that aerobic activities within the cell produce reactive oxygen species which cause damage to macromolecules, an underlying factor in organismal aging (senescence). The molecular basis of the effect of increased oxidative stress on longevity, however, remains very little understood. Increasing our understanding of the biological basis of natural resistance to oxidative stress is the budgerigar, Melopsitaccus undulatus. The budgerigar is a flying bird that is characterized by an exceptional longevity despite a high metabolic rate and consequent exposure to oxidative stress. Additional rationale for using the budgerigar as a model species for studying the biology of aging include wide availability as a pet, extensive knowledge about its physiology and nutritional requirements as well as short breeding cycles and potentially large family sizes. Despite these, however, its use to investigate the molecular basis of certain mechanisms like oxidative stress is limited because of our poor knowledge of its genome. Such knowledge will facilitate the use of emerging tools of comparative genomics to identify the genes that underlie the budgerigar's exceptional resistance to oxidative stress. To begin to address this paucity in genomic information for the budgerigar, we propose in the present R03 project to develop resources and genomic reagents needed for the construction of a budgerigar genome map. The resources that will be developed include a backcross reference panel and DNA markers based on cross-species amplification of map-based chicken, quail and turkey markers. The resources developed will lead, in a subsequent R01 project, to the construction of the first genome map of a model organism with a strong gerontological interest. A map will be useful in applying the tools of reverse genetics to identify the genes that underlie resistance to oxidative stress in the budgerigar or to use comparative genomics with more closely related (compared to mammals) but short-lived birds, including the quail and chicken, to identify these genes. The project will permit the development of a coordinated and directed budgerigar genome-mapping project led by a geneticist with a strong background in avian genomics and a biologist with extensive experience in the use of animal models, including birds, in aging research.