CAREER: Alterations in Marine Bivalve Shell Formation by Environmental Stress

贝类用壳来保护自己免受捕食者的伤害，并从水中获得营养。贝壳之所以坚韧，是因为里面的化合物比岩石还硬。然而，壳的韧性可以容易地受到壳形成期间的环境条件的影响。当贝壳在不利的条件下形成时，如水中的高二氧化碳（CO2）水平或低盐度，贝壳会变得脆弱。受影响，沿海地区一些市场价值较高的贝类品种，如牡蛎，产量可能会下降。这项CAREER提案的研究目标是从遗传水平上了解CO2和海水盐度如何改变东部牡蛎壳的形成，以便找到一种方法来帮助牡蛎克服壳形成过程中的环境影响。本研究结果将应用于墨西哥湾牡蛎养殖。该项目还将有助于恢复沿海贝类栖息地。此外，该项目还将通过该项目的教育目标，在德克萨斯州A M大学科珀斯克里斯蒂分校对来自历史上代表性不足的科学群体的学生进行培训。该项目还将为社区大学的学生提供研究机会，以及为初中/高中科学教师提供生物科学方面的研究机会。众所周知，双壳贝类在生命早期阶段的贝壳发育容易受到环境压力的影响，但对双壳贝类在贝壳发育过程中对环境变化的遗传反应知之甚少。本CAREER项目的研究目标是确定海洋酸化（OA）和盐度波动下双壳类贝壳形成的分子机制。本研究的主要目的是：1）通过测量牡蛎壳的形态变化、分析其组成变化以及鉴定其基质蛋白质产量的变化来表征牡蛎壳在OA和盐度波动胁迫下的变化;（二）通过对来自以下来源的原代细胞培养物进行转录组学分析和钙成像，确定贝壳形成对OA和盐度胁迫的反应的信号传导途径：东方牡蛎外套膜组织; 3）通过创建诱变和转基因菌株来增强东方牡蛎壳形成对环境影响的耐受性。拟议项目的教育目标是增加高等教育和生物研究的多样性，特别注重鼓励西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生攻读STEM领域的高级学位。该方法将是1）为本科生和研究生创建一个创新的班级，涉及多个校外专家和设施的教学和学生学习成果评估; 2）为本科生和社区学院的学生提供研究机会; 3）为初中/高中生组织暑期生物科学节，为小学/高中生组织培训节。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Shellfishes use shells to protect themselves from predators and obtain nutrients from the water. Shells are tough since the compounds in them are harder than rocks. However, the toughness of shells can be easily affected by environmental conditions during the shell formation. Shells can become fragile when the shell formation occursin adverse conditions, such as high carbon dioxide (CO2) level or low salinity in water. With the effects on shells, the production of some shellfish species with high market values, such as the oysters, will be possibly declined in the coastal areas. The research goal of this CAREER proposal is to understand how the CO2 and salinity of water modify the Eastern oyster shell formation from a genetic level so that a method to help the oysters overcome the environmental effects during the shell formation. The result of this study will be applied to oyster aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. The project will also help with restoration of shellfish habitats on the coast. In addition, the project will involve the training of students from historically underrepresented groups in science at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi via the educational goals of the project. The project will also provides research opportunities to community college students, as well as research opportunities for middle/high school science teachers in the biological sciences.It is well known that the shell development during the early life stages of bivalves is vulnerable to environmental stressors, but there is little understanding of the genetic responses of bivalves to environmental changes during shell development. The research goal of this CAREER project is to determine the molecular mechanisms by which bivalve shell formation is altered under ocean acidification (OA) and salinity fluctuation. The proposed approach is to 1) characterize changes in oyster shells under the stress of OA and salinity fluctuation by measuring the shell morphological changes, analyzing changes in shell composition, and identifying changes in matrix protein production of the shells; 2) identify the signaling pathway for shell formation response to OA and salinity stress by conducting transcriptomic analysis and calcium imaging with the primary cell cultures from the mantle tissue of the Eastern oyster; and 3) enhance the tolerance of the Eastern oyster shell formation to the environmental impacts by creating mutagenesis and transgenic strains. The education goals of the proposed project are to increase diversity in higher education and biological research, focusing particularly on encouraging Hispanic/Latino students to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields. The approach will be to 1) create an innovative class for undergraduate and graduate students that involves multiple off-campus experts and facilities in teaching and student-learning outcome assessment; 2) providing research opportunities to undergraduate students and community college students; and 3) organizing a summer biological science section for middle/high school students and a training section for elementary/middle school teacher education.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.