RIG/CAA: Functional Molecular Analysis of Variation in the Development of the Arthropod Head and Nervous System

通过这个奖项，布朗博士将研究一个有趣而重要的问题，即表型(身体特征)与基因类型(基因特征)是如何联系在一起的。地球历史上最成功的动物群体是节肢动物。节肢动物在我们的海洋、陆地和空气中占主导地位，并发挥着关键的生态作用，因此节肢动物特别适合于研究表型和基因之间的联系。布朗博士提出的实验重点是了解夏威夷帕希亚尔节肢动物头部的独特发育。他将通过采用多学科方法结合发育和进化生物学以及分子遗传学的技术来解决表型/基因型之间的联系。组织学技术将被用来研究和描述头部的形态和神经解剖学，并将允许对各种节肢动物进行比较分析，并作为解释分子实验的重要基础。然后，他将使用基因敲除、基因过表达和转基因技术来确定对夏威夷对虾头部、大脑和眼睛的胚胎发育至关重要的两个基因的表达和功能，这两个基因分别是Ph Orododele1(Photd1)和Ph视紫红质1(Phh1)。改变Photd1基因的表达，结合对Photd1和Phrh1调控的详细分析，将提供关于Photd1在组织头部早期发育中的作用以及Photd1和Phrh1基因在眼睛后期发育中的潜在相互作用的信息。这项在非昆虫节肢动物中的工作，将加强对生物多样性的分子基础的一般知识，并提供关于节肢动物神经系统个体发育的信息。它将进一步开发试剂和方法，将夏威夷疫霉用作了解发育系统演变的模式系统。作为他工作的一部分，布朗博士将在进化、发展和神经科学领域招募、指导和培训代表不足的少数族裔科学家。

Through this award, Dr. Browne will investigate the intriguing and important, question of how phenotypes (physical characteristics) are linked to genotypes (genetic characteristics). The most successful group of animals in earth's history has been the arthropods. Arthropods dominate, and play key ecological roles, in our seas, land, and air and thus arthropods are particularly well suited for asking how phenotype and genotype are connected. The experiments proposed by Dr. Browne are focused on understanding the unique development of the head in the arthropod, Parhyale hawaiensi. He will address the phenotype/genotype link by employing a multidisciplinary approach combining techniques from developmental and evolutionary biology, and molecular genetics. Histological techniques will be used to investigate and describe the morphology and neuroanatomy of the head and will allow comparative analyses among various arthropods and serve as an important foundation for the interpretation of molecular experiments. He will then use gene knockdown, gene overexpression, and transgenesis techniques to determine the expression and function of two genes critical to the embryonic development of the head, brain, and eye in P. hawaiensis, Ph orthodenticle1 (Photd1) and Ph rhodopsin1 (Phrh1). Altering Photd1 gene expression, combined with the detailed analysis of the regulation of Photd1 and Phrh1, will provide information concerning the role of Photd1 in organizing early head development and the potential interaction between Photd1 and Phrh1 genes in the later development of the eye. This work in a non-insect arthropod, will enhance general knowledge of the molecular basis for biological diversity and provide information regarding arthropod nervous system ontogeny. It will further develop reagents and methodologies for the use of P. hawaiensis as a model system for understanding the evolution of developmental systems. As part of his work Dr. Browne will recruit, mentor and train underrepresented minority scientists in the fields of evolution, development, and neuroscience.