Dissertation Research: Functional Genomics of Ornament Production in a Warbler

观赏性特征，如一些鸟类的长尾和鲜艳的颜色，被认为是潜在配偶的雄性质量的诚实指标，因为只有拥有相对更多资源的雄性才能生产它们。然而，在某些情况下，制作一件装饰品的能量成本似乎并不高，因此，我们不清楚是什么限制了人们制作精美的装饰品。在普通的黄喉（Geothlypis trichas）中，雌性更喜欢拥有较大黑色面罩的雄性作为配偶，但生产面罩羽毛的颜色并不被认为是昂贵的。在这个项目中，研究人员将通过研究装饰性（面具）和非装饰性（背部）羽毛发育中的基因表达来研究与生产更大的黑色装饰物相关的生理过程。这项研究的目的是测试三个假设，预测哪些基因在饰品的发展过程中是重要的，从而确定这些饰品向潜在的配偶传递了什么信息。对羽毛发育的更深入了解也将对其他学科感兴趣，包括那些与禽类疾病和畜牧业有关的学科。研究人员将通过在当地自然中心的公开演讲，以及在科学会议上的演讲和同行评审期刊上的出版物来分享这项研究的结果。精心制作的 通过配偶选择选择的装饰品可能受到参与重要生理过程的基因表达的影响。在装饰物发育过程中可能特别重要的基因包括参与氧化磷酸化（OXPHOS假说）、免疫功能（汉密尔顿和祖克假说）和生长（例如，胰岛素和胰岛素样生长因子基因;胰岛素/IGF假说）。在普通的黄喉鸟中，黑色的面具被认为是男性品质的真实信号，因为面具的大小与免疫基因（MHC II类）变异、抗体产生和抗氧化应激呈正相关。在这项研究中，研究人员将使用RNA测序来确定参与重要生理功能的基因（例如，OXPHOS，免疫，胰岛素/IGF）在形成性选择装饰物（面具）的一部分的发育中的羽毛中比那些来自羽毛的其他非性选择部分（背部）的羽毛中表达得更高。这项研究将首次比较观赏羽毛和非观赏羽毛的转录组。

Ornamental traits, such as the long tails and bright colors of some birds, are thought to be honest indicators of male quality to potential mates, because only males with relatively more resources can afford to produce them. However, in some cases the energetic cost of producing an ornament does not appear to be large, and, thus, it is not clear what limits individuals from producing elaborate ornaments. In common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) males with larger black facial masks are preferred as mates by females, yet producing the color of the mask feathers is not thought to be costly. In this project, the researchers will examine the physiological processes associated with producing larger black ornaments by studying the expression of genes in developing ornamental (facial mask) and non-ornamental (back) feathers. The goal of this research is to test three hypotheses that predict which genes are of importance during the development of ornaments and, thus, determine what information these ornaments are signaling to potential mates. A deeper understanding of feather development will also be of interest to other disciplines, including those concerned with avian disease and husbandry. The researchers will share the results of this study through public presentations at local nature centers, in addition to presentations at scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals. The production of elaborate ornaments selected through mate choice is likely affected by the expression of genes involved in important physiological processes. Genes that may be of particular importance during ornament development include those involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS hypothesis), immune function (Hamilton and Zuk hypothesis), and growth (e.g., insulin and insulin-like growth factor genes; insulin/IGF hypothesis). In common yellowthroats the black facial mask is thought to honestly signal male quality because mask size is positively related to immune gene (MHC class II) variation, antibody production, and resistance to oxidative stress. In this study, researchers will use RNA-sequencing to determine if genes involved in important physiological functions (e.g., OXPHOS, immune, insulin/IGF) are more highly expressed in developing feathers that form part of a sexually selected ornament (the mask) than those from other non-sexually selected parts of the plumage (the back). This research will provide the first comparison of transcriptomes of developing ornamental and non-ornamental feathers.