How development forms specific function: the highly unusual visual system of diving beetle larvae.

生物学中的一个基本问题是，特定的基因是否在所有动物中发挥相同的功能。 眼睛是解决这类问题的一个很好的系统，因为在动物王国中，眼睛的类型是如此的多样。 已知有许多基因对脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的眼睛发育都很重要，但已经研究过的眼睛基因只在极少数生物中进行过研究。 因此，目前还不清楚特定的眼睛基因如何影响眼睛的多样性。 为了解决这个问题，PI开发了工具，使他们能够调查朝阳潜水甲虫幼虫功能复杂的成像眼睛的发育。甲虫幼虫的眼睛与通常研究的果蝇眼睛有很大的不同，在某些方面更像脊椎动物的眼睛。 在这个项目中，PI将比较这些动物眼睛功能的基因，看看两种眼睛系统之间有什么共同点和不同之处。 该项目的目标是了解眼睛功能和结构多样性的分子基础。 该项目将为培训高中生、本科生和研究生开展分子和生理研究提供机会。 此外，每月在附近的辛辛那提动植物园（其中有一个大型的朝阳潜水甲虫展览）开展外联活动，使研究小组能够广泛传播他们的研究结果，并提高对进行基础比较研究的价值的认识。 该研究小组的初步数据表明，许多关键基因存在于甲虫和苍蝇的眼睛中，指向广泛关注的基本分子机制。 然而，在关键基因何时何地活跃方面存在信息差异。为了进一步研究这一点，PI将分析组织特异性基因和蛋白质表达谱（这只可能在非常大的甲虫眼睛中），并确定关键的眼睛发育基因在这些眼睛中表达的时间和位置。 此外，使用基因敲低的方法在甲虫（Thermonectus marmoratus），在实验室开发的，并伴随着最先进的基因测试在果蝇（果蝇）的状态，不同的因素将功能解剖比较和对比与果蝇的眼睛和感光器规格，感光器功能和透镜发展相关的基因的作用。

A fundamental question in biology is whether particular genes serve the same function in all animals. Eyes are a good system to address this type of question because there is such a diversity of eye types in the animal kingdom. There are many genes that are known to be important for both vertebrate and invertebrate eye development, but the eye genes that have been studied have only been studied in a very few organisms. So, it remains unclear how specific eye genes contribute to eye diversity. To address this question, the PIs have developed tools allowing them to investigate the development of the functionally complex, image-forming eyes of Sunburst Diving Beetle larvae. The beetle larvae eyes are quite different from the commonly studied fruit fly eyes and, in some ways, are more like vertebrate eyes. In this project, the PIs will compare genes for eye functions in these animals to see what is common and what is different between the two eye systems. The goal of the project is to understand the molecular basis for functional and structural eye diversity. This project will provide opportunities for training high school, undergraduate and graduate students to carry out molecular and physiological research. In addition, monthly outreach activities at the nearby Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (which houses a large Sunburst Diving Beetle display) will allow the research group to widely disseminate their findings and foster awareness of the value of conducting basic comparative research. Preliminary data from this research group suggest that many key genes are present in the eyes of beetles and flies, pointing towards fundamental molecular mechanisms of wide interest. However, there are informative differences in regards to when and where key genes are active. To investigate this further, the PIs will analyze tissue-specific gene and protein expression profiles (which is only possible in the very enlarged beetle eyes) and determine when and where key eye development genes are expressed within these eyes. In addition, using a gene knock-down approach in the beetle (Thermonectus marmoratus), developed in the lab, and accompanying state of the art genetic tests in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), different factors will be functionally dissected to compare and contrast the roles of genes associated with Drosophila eye and photoreceptor specification, photoreceptor function and lens development.