Genomic analysis of wing dimorphism in pea aphids

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的目的是使用基因组方法，在一个新兴的基因组模型系统，豌豆蚜虫（Acyrthosiphon pisum）中对有翅形态诱导和发育的生物学有更深入的了解。在这个物种中，通常无翅的无性繁殖雌性产生有翅的后代，以应对环境刺激，如过度拥挤或宿主植物质量差。与此相反，雄性是有翼还是无翼取决于它们携带的X染色体上的等位基因。具体的目的是使用豌豆蚜虫cDNA微阵列i）检查基因表达的变化，导致暴露的蚜虫母亲的翅膀诱导线索和ii）检查基因表达的变化，伴随着发展的有翼和无翼的变体的女性和男性。这些实验将产生关于哪些遗传途径参与i）诱导和ii）有翼和无翼变体的发育和维持的假设。然后，这些假设将通过使用传统方法检查候选基因来进行测试。总的来说，拟议研究中的实验将提供对极端表型可塑性的发育遗传基础的深入了解。

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.