REU: Chemical and Structural Defenses of Caribbean Gorgonians: Pattern and Process Over Depth Clines

柳珊瑚的化学和结构防御在加勒比地区的不同地点和同一地点的不同深度有所不同。高的网站。石棉中仲萜类化合物类型的特定变异可能是由环境引起的。harwell博士将确定观察到的Briareum在化学和结构防御方面的变化是遗传的还是环境诱导的，以及它是否是由生物制剂的选择引起的。Briareum不仅在成年菌落中具有多样化的briareins（化合物），而且在卵母细胞、胚胎和幼虫的化学防御方面也有很高的投入，这为研究生命周期中化学防御的个体发生提供了机会。尽管化学家们对柳橙的生物活性化合物进行了十年的深入研究，但还没有研究对其生命周期进行定量或定性的探索。在该项目的第一阶段，PI将(1)相互移植浅层和深层成年菌落的克隆重复，以测量防御的遗传和环境成分，(2)确定胚胎和幼虫阶段自然死亡的来源，以及(3)量化菌落发育中主要briarein化合物合成开关的时间。在项目的第二阶段，她将(1)收集和分析（生长和防御）成虫移植，(2)建立幼虫移植和选择实验，(3)使用人工食品进行生物测定，调查briareins对捕食者的适口性。

Chemical and structural defenses of the gorgonian coral Briareum asbestinum vary among different sites in the Caribbean and between depths at a single site. High site.specific variation in types of secondary terpenoid compounds of Briareum asbestinum may be environmentally induced. DR. Harvell will determine whether the observed variation in chemical and structural defenses of Briareum is genetic or environmentally induced and whether it is caused by selection by biotic agents. Briareum is distinguished not only by a diverse complement of briareins (compounds) in adult colonies, but also a high investment in chemical defense of the oocytes, embryos, and larvae, affording the opportunity to investigate the ontogeny of chemical defense in the life cycle. Despite a decade of intense research by chemists on bioactive compounds from gorgonians, no studies have explored quantitative or qualitative of the life cycle. In the first phase of the project the PI will (1) reciprocally transplant clonal replicates of shallow and deep adult colonies to measure genetic and environmental components of defense, (2) determine sources of natural mortality of embryo and larval stages, and (3) quantify the timing of switches in synthesis of major briarein compounds in colony development. In the second phase of the project she will (1) collect and analyze (growth and defenses) the adult transplant, (2) establish juvenile transplants and selection experiments, and (3) investigate the palatability of briareins to predators using bioassays with artificial foods.