环境温度对贝类的性腺发育、成熟有着显著的影响。但是，贝类如何感知温度信号并做出相应的响应、进而改变自身发育轨迹的机制仍是未知。热敏TRP通道是脊椎动物中的温度分子感受器，能感知温度信号并进行转导。同时，我们在香港牡蛎的基因组和转录组中发现了一批热敏TRP通道的同源基因。然而香港牡蛎的TRPs是否具有感知环境温度变化的能力？如果有，感知环境温度变化后又通过什么信号通路响应？是否能够介导温度对香港牡蛎性腺成熟的影响？这些问题亟待解决，也构成了本项目的主要研究内容。因此，本项目拟在测定香港牡蛎性腺发育成熟的生物学零度、有效积温和适温区的基础上，克隆并筛选开启温度范围与香港牡蛎性腺发育适温区重叠的热敏TRP通道，研究其在温度诱导香港牡蛎性腺成熟中的功能，最终解析温度调控香港牡蛎性腺成熟的分子机制。本项目的研究不仅对阐明环境温度调控贝类性腺成熟的机制有重要意义，而且有助于解析基因-环境互作机制。

Ambient temperature plays a key role in the gonadal development and maturation of shellfish. However, the mechanism underlying shellfish sense and respond to temperature signals leading to change their developmental trajectory is still unknown. In vertebrates, thermosensitive TRP channels mediate temperature sensory transduction processes. At the same time, we found the homologous genes of thermosensitive TRP channel in the Hong Kong oysters. However, do the TRPs of Hong Kong oysters have the ability to sense ambient temperature variations? If so, what signal pathway does it take to responding the changes in ambient temperature? Can it mediate the effect of temperature on gonadal maturation in Hong Kong oysters? These issues need to be resolved urgently, which also constitutes the main research content of this project. Therefore, this project intends to clone and screen the thermosensitive TRP channels related to gonadal maturation on the basis of measuring the biological zero degree, effective accumulated temperature and suitable temperature region of gonadal development in the Hong Kong oysters. Then, we study the function of candidate thermosensitive TRP channels in gonadal development and maturation and reveal the molecular mechanism of temperature regulating the gonadal maturation of Hong Kong oyster. Therefore, our results will contribute to not only elucidating the mechanism of ambient temperature regulating the gonadl maturation of shellfish, but also exploring the mechanism of gene-environment interaction.