Identity and Function of Heliconius Mimicry Genes

现代生物多样性研究的一个主要目标是确定适应和多样化背后的基因。尽管人们对这一主题非常感兴趣，但从自然种群中发现的此类基因相对较少，在物种之间进行比较的更少。蝴蝶翅膀的图案为识别和研究适应基因提供了一个难得的机会。事实上，在过去的世纪里，翅膀的形态一直是研究适应性的最佳系统，主要是因为变异和适应价值之间的联系非常容易理解--特别是在模仿、伪装、惊吓反应和择偶等方面。在这个特殊的项目中，研究人员将致力于确定控制Heliconius蝴蝶中与拟态相关的颜色模式变化的主要基因。值得注意的是，在过去的2000万年里，似乎只有三个主要的基因负责这个属的大部分戏剧性的颜色模式变化。研究人员将应用现代遗传和发育方法来表征这些基因，并评估它们在不同物种中的功能。通过在分子水平上理解这些基因，生物学家将更好地理解为什么有些基因比其他基因更容易促进生物多样性。里德实验室将继续参与学士学位课程的桥梁，该课程允许来自服务水平低下人群的未来社区大学转学生参加夏季研究体验。McMillan和R.帕帕将分别帮助波多黎各大学史密森热带研究所开发和加强拉丁美洲实习项目。该项目将支持在基因组学和发育生物学领域培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究员。

A primary goal of modern biodiversity research is to identify the genes underlying adaptation and diversification. Despite the intense interest in this topic, relatively few such genes have been characterized from natural populations, and fewer still have been compared between species. Butterfly wing patterns represent an exceptional opportunity for identifying and studying adaptation genes. Indeed, for over a century wing patterns have been a favorite system for studying adaptation, primarily because the links between variation and adaptive value are so easy to understand - especially in cases such as mimicry, camouflage, startle response, and mate-choice. In this particular project the investigators will work to identify the major genes controlling mimicry-related color pattern variation in Heliconius butterflies. Remarkably, over the last 20 millions years it appears that only three major genes have been responsible for much of the dramatic color pattern variation in this genus. The investigators will apply modern genetic and developmental methods to characterize these genes and assess their functions across different species. By understanding these genes at a molecular level biologists will be better poised to understand why some genes tend to facilitate biological diversification more than others.The investigators of this project have strong records of involving students, including undergraduates, in laboratory research. The Reed Lab will continue to participate in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program, which allows prospective community college transfer students from underserved populations to participate in summer research experiences, and W.O. McMillan and R. Papa will help develop and enhance Latin American Internship Programs at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute at the University of Puerto Rico, respectively. This project will support the training of one graduate student and one postdoctoral researcher in the fields of genomics and developmental biology.