OPUS CRS: Integrating Forty Years of Parasitism Research

寄生虫无处不在，寄生虫形形色色，从病毒、细菌到真菌、线虫、寄生植物和无脊椎动物，如跳蚤、螨虫、虱子、臭虫，以及将卵产在其他昆虫上的小寄生昆虫。事实上，地球上几乎每个物种都有相关的寄生虫，这些寄生虫塑造了它们的生物学。即使是寄生虫也有寄生虫。如果我们观察更小的微观尺度，DNA寄生虫几乎在每种有机体的遗传物质中都能找到。物种如何在寄生的猛烈攻击中生存下来，宿主如何应对以控制它们？这个项目的一个主要焦点是调查不同生物水平的寄生现象，并在非常不同种类的寄生关系中确定共同的原则。这项研究对改善农业和增进人类健康具有重要意义。该项目的第二个主要目标是关于一种被称为“寄生虫”的特定寄生虫。寄生虫是一种小昆虫，它们在其他无脊椎动物身上产卵，然后产生的幼虫捕食并杀死“宿主”。寄生蜂是所有昆虫中数量最多的一种，它们在控制自然界中的昆虫数量方面发挥着重要作用，包括害虫和病媒。这种名为纳斯尼亚(宝石黄蜂)的寄生蜂群是一个非常容易驯服的研究和教学小组。它已经成为寄生蜂生物学和基础研究的昆虫模型。然而，包括该系统的主要进展和用途在内的对鼻炎的综合治疗已经有50多年没有进行过了。为了填补这一空白，并使该系统更容易为研究人员和教育工作者所用，将对Nasonia进行综合审查。这将包括研究方法、研究进展以及在线研究和教育工具的信息。这项综述既将推进对寄生蜂的研究，也将提高公众对这一非常重要但未被充分认识的昆虫群体的认识和了解。这项研究将确定非常不同种类的寄生关系的共同原则，以实现综合分析，从基因组寄生虫到生态群落的寄生。将在专著中说明的重要主题包括生物选择水平、寄生-互惠关系连续体、遗传冲突、进化依赖、对抗性共同进化与单向适应、联合的共同遗传和保真性、宿主防御以及宿主对寄生虫的共同选择。将出版一本关于昆虫寄生蜂Nasonia的合成专著，并将其在研究和教学中的应用。这项工作建立在首席调查员在这些和其他寄生虫方面40年的经验基础上，在此期间，纳斯尼亚已经成为一个昆虫模型系统。这本专著将介绍纳斯尼亚和相关昆虫的生物学、遗传、基因组和其他资源、方法以及纳斯尼亚对科学的重大贡献，包括在行为、遗传学、比较生物学、发育和共生方面。对于高中和大学阶段的教学来说，Nasonia也是一个很好的系统。这本专著将介绍它在教学、工具和习题示例中的用途和优势。在线资源将被更新，以帮助研究人员和教师使用Nasoni.该奖项反映了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。

Parasitism is pervasive and parasites come in all shapes and forms, from viruses, and bacteria to fungi, nematode worms, parasitic plants, and invertebrates such as fleas, mites, lice, bedbugs, and little “parasitoid” insects who lay their eggs on other insects. In fact, nearly every species on our planet has associated parasites that shape their biology. Even parasites have parasites. If we look on even smaller microscopic scales, DNA parasites are found in the genetic material of nearly every organism. How do species survive this onslaught of parasitism, and how do hosts respond to keep them in check? A major focus of this project is to investigate parasitism across different biological levels, and to identify common principles among the very diverse kinds of parasitic relationships. This research is relevant to improving agriculture and advancing human health. The second major goal of this project concerns a specific kind of parasite called “parasitoids”. Parasitoids are small insects that lay their eggs in other invertebrates, and the resulting young then feed on and kill the “host”. Parasitoids are among the most abundant of all insects, and they play a major role in controlling insect numbers in nature, including pests and disease vectors. The parasitoid group called Nasonia (jewel wasps) is a highly tractable study group for research and teaching. It has emerged as an insect model for both parasitoid biology and basic research. Yet, a synthetic treatment of Nasonia, including major advances and uses of the system, has not been done in over fifty years. To fill this gap, and to make the system more available to researchers and educators, a synthetic review of Nasonia will be conducted. This will include methods, research advances, and information on on-line tools for research and education. The review will both advance research on parasitoids, and increase public awareness and knowledge about this very important but under-recognized group of insects. This research will identify common principles among the very diverse kinds of parasitic relationships to achieve a synthetic analysis, spanning parasitism from genomic parasites to ecological communities. Important themes to be illustrated in the monograph include biological levels of selection, the parasitism-mutualism continuum, genetic conflict, evolved dependencies, antagonistic coevolution versus unidirectional adaptation, coinheritance and fidelity of association, host defenses, and cooption of parasites by hosts. A synthetic monograph will be produced on the insect parasitoid Nasonia, and its uses in research and teaching. This work builds on the principle investigator’s 40 years of experience on these and other parasitoids, during which Nasonia has emerged as an insect model system. The monograph will feature the biology of Nasonia and related insects, genetic, genomic, and other resources, methods, and significant contributions of Nasonia to science, including in behavior, genetics, comparative biology, development, and symbiosis. Nasonia is also an excellent system for teaching at the high school and college levels. The monograph will feature its uses and advantages in teaching, tools, and examples of exercises. Online resources will be updated to assist researchers and teachers in utilizing Nasonia.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.