Genomic analysis of wing dimorphism in pea aphids

描述(申请人提供)：拟议研究的目的是利用基因组学方法对一种新兴的基因组模式系统--豌豆蚜虫(Acyrthosiphon Pisum)--的有翼形态诱导和发育的生物学有更深入的了解。在这个物种中，通常没有翅膀的无性繁殖的雌性后代会对过度拥挤或寄主植物质量差等环境刺激做出反应，产生有翼的后代。相比之下，雄性有翼或无翼取决于他们携带的X染色体上基因的等位基因。其具体目的是使用豌豆蚜虫基因芯片来检测由于蚜虫母亲暴露在诱翅线索下而导致的基因表达的变化，以及ii)检测伴随着雌性和雄性有翼和无翼形态发育的基因表达的变化。这些实验将产生关于哪些遗传途径参与有翼和无翅形态的诱导和II)发育和维持的假设。然后，这些假说将通过使用传统方法对候选基因的检查来检验。总体而言，拟议研究中的实验将提供对极端表型可塑性的发育遗传学基础的洞察。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of the proposed research is to use a genomic approach to generate a deeper understanding of the biology of winged morph induction and development in an emerging genomic model system, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). In this species, normally wingless asexually reproducing females produce winged offspring in response to environmental stimuli such as overcrowding or poor host plant quality. In contrast, males are winged or unwinged depending on the allele they carry of a gene on the X chromosome. The specific aims are to use pea aphid cDNA microarrays to i) examine the changes in gene expression that result from exposure of aphid mothers to wing-inducing cues and ii) examine changes in gene expression that accompany the development of the winged and unwinged morphs of both females and males. These experiments will generate hypotheses about which genetic pathways are involved in the i) induction and ii) development and maintentance of winged and unwinged morphs. These hypotheses will then be tested by examination of candidate genes using traditional approaches. Overall, experiments in the proposed research will provide insight into the developmental genetic basis of extreme phenotypic plasticity.