The evolution of gene expression and functional specialization in Siphonophora (Cnidaria)

不同的物种在它们的细胞、基因和器官之间有不同程度的特化。了解这种功能专门化的进化起源和基因组基础，对于理解地球上生命的多样性和复杂系统劳动分工的含义至关重要。这个项目将调查一组海洋无脊椎动物物种的功能专业化，这些物种具有一些最极端的分工，虹吸管。管水母由数百个专门的身体组成，每个身体执行特定的任务，比如觅食或防御。研究人员将在12种虹吸管水母的多种类型的特化体中测量基因活性，并表征这些体之间的解剖差异。进化分析将表明哪些基因的活动发生了变化，这些变化与劳动分工的变化有关。这个项目将测试关于复杂的、整合的生物体的进化和劳动分工影响的一般假设。它还将开发新的统计方法和计算工具，使其他物种的基因活动的进化分析成为可能。此外，这项拨款还支持制作新的动画，将发现传达给广大观众（发布在http://creaturecast.org上）。

Different species have different degrees of specialization between their cells, genes, and organs. Understanding the evolutionary origins and genomic underpinning of this functional specialization is critical to understanding the diversity of life on Earth and the implications of division of labor for complex systems. This project will investigate functional specialization in a group of marine invertebrate species with some of the most extreme divisions of labor, the siphonophores. Siphonophores are made up of hundreds of specialized bodies that each perform particular tasks, such as feeding or defense. The investigators will measure gene activity in multiple types of specialized bodies in twelve species of siphonophores, and characterize the anatomical differences between these bodies. Evolutionary analyses will indicate which genes have shifts in activity that are associated with shifts in the division of labor.This project will test general hypotheses about the evolution and impact of the division of labor in complex, integrated organisms. It will also develop new statistical methods and computational tools that will enable evolutionary analyses of gene activity in other species. In addition, this grant provides support to produce new animations that communicate findings to a broad audience (posted at http://creaturecast.org).