脉红螺幼虫面盘细胞自噬和凋亡过程及其对变态的调控作用

变态过程是贝类从幼虫向成贝转变的重要发育阶段，对苗种繁育以及自然海区中贝类种群数量变动、分布和资源补充都有重要影响。面盘退化是贝类变态的典型特征之一，面盘的退化意味着贝类由浮游生活向底栖生活的转变，该过程涉及到细胞凋亡和细胞自噬的调控，然而目前相关研究还非常少，尚不清楚其过程和机制。本项目以我国重要经济贝类脉红螺为研究对象，通过研究其变态过程中面盘细胞自噬和凋亡的组织细胞学形态特征和时序关系、关键分子Atg5在介导自噬向凋亡转化的作用以及自噬和凋亡过程对面盘退化和幼虫变态的影响，形成以“细胞自噬—Atg5分子开关—细胞凋亡—面盘退化—变态”为主线的研究链条，以阐明脉红螺幼虫面盘细胞自噬和凋亡过程及其对变态的调控作用，为我国脉红螺的苗种繁育、增养殖和资源恢复提供理论基础，促进我国脉红螺资源的合理开发利用，同时可为贝类变态的调控机制提供新认知，具有重要的理论和现实意义。

Larval metamorphosis of molluscs, which is a pelagic to benthic transition involves considerable structural and physiological change, plays a pivotal role in commercial breeding and natural populations recruitment. Velum degeneration is one of the typical characteristics of molluscan metamorphosis, which certainly involved with apoptosis and autophagy. Yet the features of apoptosis and autophagy in molluscan velum cells and their roles in controlling larval metamorphosis is poorly understood. Hence, this project has chosen the economically and ecologically important sea snail Rapana venosa as research object, and aims to unveil the regulatory role of both apoptosis and autophagy during R. venosa metamorphosis by investigating into the morphological characteristics and timing relationship of autophagy and apoptosis in velum cells, and investigating into functional role of key molecular Atg5 in mediating autophagy transform into apoptosis. Through “Autophagy - Atg5 molecular switch - Apoptosis - Velum degeneration - Metamorphosis” research chain, this study is supposed to improve understanding of the physiological traits controlling R. venosa metamorphosis, and provide a solid basis for further study of its aquaculture and resource restoration.