Collaborative Research: Characterizing the genetics of seasonal animal migration

许多动物经历了长距离的季节性迁徙，以躲避不断恶化的栖息地，殖民新的资源或躲避天敌。动物迁徙对迁徙物种的生态和进化以及生态系统功能有重大影响。尽管动物迁徙很重要，但这种现象背后的遗传学仍然知之甚少。这个项目将以帝王蝶为模型系统，描述季节性迁徙的遗传结构。由于许多与迁徙相关的特征与其他物种共享，这项工作也将极大地促进我们对动物迁徙的普遍理解。此外，还迫切需要了解君主迁徙的遗传学。在过去的几十年里，东部迁徙君主的人口规模已经减少，有人认为这种壮观的现象可能在不久的将来就会消失。必须彻底了解帝王迁徙的遗传学，才能确定帝王迁徙是否面临灭绝的危险，以及非迁徙种群是否有可能重新进化迁徙，以补充不断减少的北美种群。该项目还将产生更广泛的影响，包括对学生和博士后研究人员的培训，以及在公立学校、科学中心和帝王蝴蝶节上的推广活动。季节性迁徙在整个动物界广泛存在，但对任何物种的迁徙遗传学缺乏全面的了解。迁徙不是一个单一的特征，而是一种包括各种特征的综合症，包括那些参与新陈代谢、发育、感觉处理和繁殖的特征。帝王蝶非常适合研究迁徙，因为它们的迁徙表型是自然发生的变化，而且在这个物种中遗传工具的可用性越来越高。北美东部的帝王以每年一度的壮观迁徙而闻名，在此期间，数以百万计的帝王从美国和加拿大飞往墨西哥的越冬地点。不太受重视的是，落基山脉以西的君主迁徙到加州海岸的时间较短，而且君主在世界各地形成了非迁徙种群。该项目将利用这种自然发生的迁徙表型变异，以全面了解迁徙的遗传学。为了做到这一点，研究人员将在迁徙和非迁徙的帝王之间进行基因杂交，并量化父母代和F2代中与迁徙相关的表型特征。他们将对帝王的基因组重新排序，执行定量特征基因定位，并使用有针对性的基因组编辑来：(1)识别与迁徙表型相关的基因组区域和基因；(2)表征与不同迁徙距离相关的行为和遗传学；以及(3)从功能上测试候选迁徙基因。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Many animals undergo long-distance seasonal migrations to escape deteriorating habitats, colonize new resources or escape natural enemies. Animal migration has major impacts on the ecology and evolution of migrating species as well as on ecosystem functioning. Despite the importance of animal migration, the genetics underlying this phenomenon remain poorly understood. This project will characterize the genetic architecture of seasonal migration, using monarch butterflies as a model system. Because many of the traits related to migration are shared with other species, this work will also greatly advance our general understanding of animal migration. There is also a pressing need to understand the genetics of monarch migration. The population size of eastern migratory monarchs has dwindled over the last few decades, and it has been suggested that this spectacular phenomenon may disappear in the near future. A thorough understanding of monarch migration genetics must be achieved in order to determine whether monarch migration is at risk of extinction, and whether non-migratory populations could potentially re-evolve migration to supplement the dwindling North American population. This project will also have a variety of broader impacts, including the training of students and post-doctoral researchers, and outreach activities at public schools, science centers, and monarch butterfly festivals.Seasonal migration occurs widely across the animal kingdom, but a comprehensive understanding of migration genetics is lacking for any species. Migration is not a single trait, but is better described as a syndrome that includes a variety of traits, including those involved in metabolism, development, sensory processing and reproduction. Monarch butterflies are well suited to study migration because of their naturally occurring variation in migratory phenotypes, and the growing availability of genetic tools in this species. Monarchs are best known for their spectacular annual migration in eastern North America, during which millions of monarchs fly from the US and Canada to overwintering sites in Mexico. What is less appreciated is that monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains undergo a shorter migration to the California coast, and that monarchs have formed non-migratory populations around the world. This project will capitalize on this naturally occurring variation in migration phenotypes to obtain a comprehensive view of the genetics of migration. To do this, the researchers will perform genetic crosses between migratory and non-migratory monarchs and quantify phenotypic traits related to migration in parental and F2 generations. They will re-sequence monarch genomes, perform Quantitative Trait Locus mapping and use targeted genome editing to: (1) identify genomic regions and genes associated with migration phenotypes; (2) characterize behavior and genetics associated with divergent migration distances; and (3) functionally test candidate migration genes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.