NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Inference of the repeated evolution of prothoracic defensive glands in the Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera)

这一行动为NSF 2021财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，综合研究调查了支配基因组、环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训，这些研究员将以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。昆虫使用化学分泌物的原因有很多，包括寻找食物、交配和防御捕食者。腺体的化学分泌物对自卫特别重要。然而，我们对腺体如何进化到从特定身体区域产生特定化学物质的了解是有限的。研究昆虫的腺体功能和进化，对于了解昆虫的化学防御、昆虫通讯以及整个昆虫的进化是必不可少的。这位研究员将使用变暗的甲虫和它们的胸部防御腺作为模型系统，测试关于昆虫腺体进化机制的假说。这项研究的结果还将有助于为公共宣传和来自不同背景的K-12学生编写教育材料。本研究的主要目的是探讨暗色甲虫(鞘翅目：拟步甲科)的前胸防御腺(PDGs)是并行进化还是收敛进化。具体地说，本研究旨在研究1)参与拟步甲科PDG发育的基因和基因调控网络，2)拟步甲科PDG的解剖同源特征，以及3)与PDG进化相关的生活史特征。比较转录组学将用于比较五个代表性类群中发育中的PDGs和无腺体组织的基因表达谱，以确定与腺体发育有关的候选基因和基因调控网络。将进行腺体起始点、肌肉结构、部位、大体结构和超微结构的形态调查，以检查它们是来自同源组织还是来自非同源组织。将使用从文献中挖掘的腺体发生和生活史数据，并将其置于拟步甲科最新的系统发育假说的背景下，检验PDG进化与生活史特征之间的相关性。这位同事假设拟步甲科的PDG是通过平行进化(即通过同源基因调控网络和前胸组织的共同选择而进化)进化的，但与已知的生活史特征无关。除了与专业教育工作者合作外，该项目还将为该研究员以及对昆虫形态、生物信息学和系统发育感兴趣的研究生和本科生提供极好的研究、培训和科学交流机会。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。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the Fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Insects use chemical secretions for many reasons, including to find food, mates, and defend against predators. Chemical secretions from glands are especially important for self-defense. However, our understanding of how glands evolve to produce specific chemicals from specific body regions is limited. Studying gland function and evolution is essential to understanding the evolution of insect chemical defenses, insect communication, and insects as a whole. The Fellow will use darkling beetles and their thoracic defensive glands as a model system for testing hypotheses about mechanisms of insect gland evolution. The outcomes of this research will also aid the development of educational materials for public outreach and K-12 students from diverse backgrounds. This research primarily aims to address whether prothoracic defensive glands (PDGs) of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), have evolved via parallel or convergent evolution. Specifically, this research aims to examine 1) the genes and gene regulatory networks involved in PDG development across Tenebrionidae, 2) the anatomically homologous features of Tenebrionidae PDGs, and 3) life history traits correlated with PDG evolution. Comparative transcriptomics will be used to compare the gene expression profiles of developing PDGs and glandless body tissue in five representative taxa to identify candidate genes and gene regulatory networks involved in gland development. Morphological investigations examining gland origin points, musculature, locality, gross structure, and ultrastructure will be carried out to examine whether they are derived from homologous or non-homologous tissues. Examining correlations between PDG evolution and life history traits will be carried out using gland occurrence and life history data mined from literature and placed in the context of the latest phylogenetic hypotheses for Tenebrionidae. The Fellow hypothesizes that the PDGs of Tenebrionidae have evolved through parallel evolution (i.e., develop through the co-option of homologous gene regulatory networks and prothoracic tissues), but are not correlated with known life history traits. In addition to collaboration with professional educators, this project will also provide excellent research, training, and scientific communication opportunities for the Fellow as well as for graduate and undergraduate students interested in insect morphology, bioinformatics, and phylogenetics.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.