CAREER: Genomic Analysis of Pheromone-Mediated Behavior

化学通讯是一个复杂的过程，其中化学信号被翻译成不同的行为或生理反应。 接受动物的环境背景、生理状态或基因型可以深刻地影响动物的反应，但这种调节的分子基础在很大程度上是未知的。 本项目旨在研究调节蜜蜂对蜂王下颌信息素（QMP）反应的遗传和生理因素，蜂王下颌信息素是蜜蜂行为和群体组织的主要信息素调节剂。 QMP是不寻常的，因为它引起了各种各样的反应。 这些研究将描述生理因素和遗传变异对三种反应的影响，但也确定引物和引物信息素反应是否耦合，以及特定的大脑基因表达模式是否与不同的反应相关。 该项目将深入了解外部化学线索如何被大脑转化为行为或生理反应，并将解决调节这些过程的生理，基因型和进化因素。 这些研究将作为综合教育、培训和外联活动的平台。 特别是行为分析将是一个旨在让高中生参与动手科学研究的计划的基石，允许他们使用蜜蜂创建，设计和分析自己的实验。 微阵列研究将用于两个新的课程，昆虫神经基因组学和分子技术在生态学和进化，既向学生展示了非遗传模型系统的跨学科分子研究的机会，并使他们熟悉尖端的分子技术。 最后，这些研究将有助于建立和支持一个积极的研究计划，该计划涉及K-12学生，本科生，研究生和博士后研究，并将他们的工作与NCSU内部和部门之间的许多合作企业相结合，以及国内和国际。

Chemical communication is a complex process in which a chemical signal is translated into a distinct behavioral or physiological response. The environmental context, physiological state, or genotype of the receiving animal can profoundly affect how the animal responds, but the molecular bases for this modulation are largely unknown. This project is designed to study the genetic and physiological factors that modulate how honey bees respond to queen mandibular pheromone (QMP), the main pheromonal regulator of bee behavior and colony organization. QMP is unusual in that it induces a variety of responses. These studies will characterize the effects of physiological factors and genetic variation on three responses, but also determine if primer and releaser pheromone responses are coupled, and if specific brain gene expression patterns are associated with different responses. This project will provide insight into how an external chemical cue is translated into a behavioral or physiological response by the brain, and will also address the physiological, genotypic and evolutionary factors that modulate these processes. The studies will serve as a platform for integrated education, training and outreach activities. In particular the behavioral assays will be the cornerstone of a program aimed at engaging high school students in hands-on scientific research, by allowing them to create, design, and analyze their own experiments using honey bees. The microarray studies will be used in two new courses, Insect Neurogenomics and Molecular Techniques in Ecology and Evolution, to both demonstrate to students the opportunities available in interdisciplinary molecular research on non-genetic model systems and to familiarize them with cutting edge molecular techniques. Lastly, these studies will help build and support an active research program that engages K-12 students, undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral researches, and integrates their work with a number of collaborative ventures both within and between departments at NCSU, and nationally and internationally.