Behavioral genomics of a newly discovered species of Caenorhabditis

 描述（由申请人提供）：了解表型性状的遗传和基因组基础是生物科学中的一个主要问题。解决这个问题的一种方法是利用可以通过实验操作的密切相关的物种。秀丽隐杆线虫作为第一个被测序的多细胞基因组，一直是比较基因组学研究的重要参考点。然而，这种实用性一直强烈限制了日期的事实，C。秀丽线虫没有已知的近亲（即，具有不饱和的非编码位置），并且这种生物体的大部分天然生物学仍然是一个谜。在野外，小杆线虫在腐烂的水果上繁殖，动物通过无脊椎动物载体物种分散到新的食物来源。最近报道了一个具有特殊特征的小杆隐杆线虫新种--小杆隐杆线虫C.第34章被发现了从更广泛的角度来看，该物种最重要的特征是它现在是已知的与C最近的亲戚。优雅的人足够接近 大大推进了比较基因组学。从自然历史的角度来看，这个物种具有非常有趣的生物学，可以立即利用线虫系统的力量来更深入地了解行为和生态遗传学。例如，这个物种比C长两倍。与新鲜的（不是腐烂的）无花果和无花果黄蜂有关。我的初步行为研究表明，C。sp.34动物被吸引到实验室的无花果黄蜂。在这里，我建议通过描述C的基因组特征来利用这些新物种的惊人发现和独特生物学。sp.34的基因组特征，并与C. elegans和其他小杆线虫的化学吸引作用，并探讨了小杆线虫趋光载体化学吸引作用的遗传基础。sp. 34.基因组组装将利用下一代技术和现代计算方法进行。此外，将进行比较基因组方法，以了解小杆线虫基因组结构的演变。一个生态相关的实验系统，以检查主机感应在C。sp.34将用传统的趋化性测定来建立。将在C. sp.34，以鉴定在趋化性行为测定中感知榕小蜂缺陷的突变体。然后，基因组序列将通过直接测序进行突变鉴定，以鉴定导致宿主发现缺陷的分子病变。然后，这些基因将使用模型系统遗传方法进行表征。这些研究的结果将为新奇的基因组基础提供深入见解，并改善关键生物医学模型的基因组分析。此外，未研究行为的遗传特征将提高我们对神经系统进化和发育的理解，并可能揭示在包括人类在内的后生动物中功能保守的新途径。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Understanding the genetic and genomic basis of phenotypic traits is a major question in the biological sciences. One method to address this problem is the utilization of closely-related species that can be manipulated experimentally. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has long been a powerful tool for biological investigations and, as the first multicellular genome sequenced, has been an important point of reference for comparative genomics studies. However, this utility has been strongly limited to date by the fact that C. elegans has no known close relatives (i.e., with unsaturated non-coding positions) and that much of its natural biology of this organism remains a mystery. In the wild, Caenorhabditis nematodes proliferate on rotting fruit, and animals disperse to new sources of food via invertebrate carrier species. Recently, a new species of Caenorhabditis with exceptional characteristics, C. sp. 34, has been discovered. From a broader perspective, the most important feature of this species is that it is now the closest known relatives to C. elegans close enough to greatly advance comparative genomics. From a natural history perspective, this species has extremely interesting biology that can be immediately exploited using the power of the nematode system to gain deeper understanding behavioral and ecological genetics. For instance, this species is up to two times longer than C. elegans and are associated with fresh (not rotten) figs and fig wasps. My preliminary behavioral studies demonstrate that C. sp. 34 animals are attracted to fig wasps in the lab. Here, I propose to capitalize on the startling discovery and unique biology of these new species by characterizing the genomic features of C. sp. 34, by comparing these genomic characteristics with those of C. elegans and other Caenorhabditis species, and by investigating the genetic basis of phoretic-carrier chemoattraction in C. sp. 34. Genome assembly will be performed utilizing next-generation technology and modern computational methods. Additionally, comparative genomic approaches will be performed to understand the evolution of the genome architecture in Caenorhabditis. An ecologically-relevant experimental system to examine host-sensing in C. sp. 34 will be established with traditional chemotaxis assays. A forward mutagenesis screen will be performed in C. sp. 34 in order to identify mutants defective in sensing fig wasps in chemotaxis behavioral assays. The genome sequence will then mutation identification by direct sequencing in order to identify the molecular lesions responsible for host-finding defects. These genes will then be characterized using model systems genetic approaches. Results from these studies will provide insights into the genomic basis of novelty and improve genomic analysis of a critical biomedical model. Additionally, the genetic characterization of an unstudied behavior will improve our understanding of the evolution and development of the nervous system, and may reveal novel pathways that are functionally conserved across metazoans, including humans.