Integrative and genomics approach to the study of the molecular bases of dominance in an African cichlid fish

了解有多少以及哪些类型的基因和激素参与了塑造社会有机体的不同行为，这是行为生物学的一个基本目标。我的研究计划的长期目标是确定脊椎动物社会行为背后的分子和内分泌机制，以加深我们对行为的近期和最终原因的理解。我研究的是伯顿拟罗非鱼的雄性，这是一种群居的非洲慈鱼，具有强大的优势等级。目标1.研究个体在压力应对方式(也称为气质)上的差异，以表征该物种气质的差异，并调查大胆(低压力反应)和害羞(高压力反应)的雄性是否也在攻击性行为上存在差异，以及气质是否随着时间的推移而稳定。此外，我还将探索胆大妄为和害羞的男性之间荷尔蒙水平的差异，以及不同气质的男性大脑中哪些类型的基因表达不同。目标2：通过结合基因组学、内分泌学和行为生物学技术的综合生物学方法，揭示在伯通氏艾美耳球虫中表达随显性变化的基因的功能。我将对这些候选基因的产物进行化学操作，并评估它们对行为、生理、激素和基因表达的单独和联合影响。为了实现这两个目标，微阵列将被用来比较样本(大胆/害羞，对照/操纵的男性)之间的基因表达，一次数千个基因。这些发现将大大有助于分子生物学、内分泌学和行为生物学领域的基础知识，以及畜牧业(水产养殖)和物种保护战略的应用知识。这项研究计划将对加拿大做出持久的贡献，因为从长远来看，我的发现有可能被研究人员应用于其他脊椎动物的行为研究，包括医学背景下的人类。它将有助于培训加拿大高素质的人员掌握最新的分子生物学技术，并推动以基因组学为导向的创新研究走在加拿大生命科学的前沿。

Understanding how many and which types of genes and hormones are involved in shaping different behaviours in social organisms is a fundamental goal of behavioural biology. The long-term objective of my research program is to identify the molecular and endocrine mechanisms that underlie social behaviour in vertebrates to further our understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes of behaviour. I study males of Astatotilapia burtoni, a group-living African cichlid fish with strong dominance hierarchies. Goal 1. To study variation among individuals in stress coping styles, also called temperament, to characterize variation in temperament in this species and to invesitigate if bold (low stress response) and shy (high stress response) males also vary in aggressive behaviour and if temperament is stable over time. Moreover, I will explore how hormone levels vary between bold and shy males and which type of genes vary in expression in the brain of males of different temperaments. Goal 2. To uncover the function of genes that vary in expression with dominance in A. burtoni by the use of an integrative biology approach that combines genomics, endocrinology and behaviour biology techniques. I will chemically manipulate the products of these candidate genes and assess their individual and joint effects on behaviour, physiology, hormones, and gene expression. To achieve both goals, microarrays will be used to compare gene expression between samples (bold/shy, control/manipulated male), for thousands of genes at a time. These findings will significantly contribute to fundamental knowledge in the fields of molecular biology, endocrinology and behavioural biology and to applied knowledge in animal husbandry (aquaculture) and species conservation strategies. This research program will make a lasting contribution to Canada as in the long term my findings have the potential to be applied by researchers to the study of behaviour in other vertebrates, including humans in a medical context. It will contribute to training of Canadian highly qualified personnel in the latest molecular biology techniques and to the initiative to put innovative genomics-oriented research at the forefront of life sciences in Canada.