Regionalization of the Parhyale Bodyplan

包括人类在内的大多数动物，其特定的身体部位和器官沿着前后轴（A-P轴，对人类来说是从头到脚）有着明显的组织结构。在过去的几十年里，科学家们发现了一组被称为同源异型基因的基因，它们控制着器官和附属物沿着沿着A-P轴的位置。 虽然这些基因最初是在果蝇中发现的，但随后在所有动物中发现了它们，并发现它们在控制苍蝇、小鼠、人类和蠕虫等不同物种的发育中发挥着共同的作用。 虽然这些基因的整体功能是保守的，但这些基因被激活的位置和时间的变化可以在身体组织中产生显着的变化。 这项研究的目的是了解这些基因在产生动物生物多样性的进化过程中所起的作用。 为了做到这一点，研究人员将专注于一组动物，这些动物在其附属物的组织中表现出最大的多样性，甲壳类动物，包括虾，螃蟹，龙虾和一种名为Parhyale的新兴模型系统。 利用现代遗传学方法，研究人员将确定Parhyale中单个同源异型基因的具体作用，然后使用比较方法来确定同源异型基因表达模式的变化是否是不同物种中附属物组织之间差异的原因。 这项研究有望揭示这些基因介导的特定类型的发育和进化变化。 这项研究将在实验室里训练学生，并将用于向K-12学生和当地社区大学的学生说明进化原理。更广泛地与公众接触将包括公开讲座和媒体介绍。

Most animals, including humans, display an obvious organization of specific body parts and organs along the anterior to posterior axis (A-P axis, head to toe for humans), and over the past several decades scientists have discovered a set of genes, known as homeotic genes, which control the placement of organs and appendages along the A-P axis. While these genes were first discovered in fruit flies, they were subsequently identified in all animals and found to play a common role in controlling the development of such varied species as flies, mice, humans, and worms. While the overall functions of these genes are well conserved, changes in where and when these genes are activated can create remarkable changes in body organization. The aim of this research is to understand the role that these genes have played in the evolutionary processes that have generated animal biodiversity. To do this, the investigators will focus on a group of animals that shows the greatest diversity in the organization of their appendages, the crustaceans, which include shrimp, crabs, lobsters, and an emerging model system called Parhyale. Using modern genetic approaches, the investigators will determine the specific roles of individual homeotic genes in Parhyale, and then use comparative methods to determine if changes in the patterns of homeotic gene expression are responsible for the differences between appendage organization in the various species. The research is expected to reveal the specific types of developmental and evolutionary changes that can be mediated by these genes. This research will train students in the laboratory and will be used to illustrate evolutionary principles to K-12 students and local community college students. Broader outreach to the general public will include public lectures and media presentations.