NSFDEB-NERC: Phylogenomics and sensory systems evolution in silkmoths and relatives

本研究拟对一个模式昆虫类群--蚕蛾及其近缘种（蚕蛾总科）进行全面的系统发育学研究，并将其用于研究两个主要感觉系统--视觉和嗅觉的进化。这项为期五年的计划将发展一个美英合作伙伴关系，让五所院校的研究员和学生进行异花授粉，以子索以下目的：1）产生一个包含1000个分类群和700个基因的介形虫总科的基因组学，以建立一个强大的进化框架; 2）量化两个关键器官的感觉形态（眼睛和触角）是昆虫视觉和嗅觉的中心;和3）重建视觉和嗅觉传导网络中基因的进化历史，以测试感觉形态和相关基因的选择是否在活跃的物种之间发生变化几乎所有的动物都把视觉或嗅觉作为主要的感觉系统。据推测，物种在光照或黑暗环境中活动的转变驱动了感觉器官的形态和对相关基因的选择。然而，这一核心假设在很大程度上仍未得到验证，因为在很大程度上缺乏一个全面的进化框架和比较数据。天牛总科是鳞翅目昆虫中最重要的类群之一。它们提供了一个很好的机会来研究2个潜在的互补感觉系统，视觉和嗅觉，是如何在白天/黑夜的过渡中进化的，因为该组中的物种具有不同的活动时间，不同的眼睛和触角形态以及先进的感觉基因网络。该超家族包括许多模式生物（如家蚕、烟草天蛾），在遗传学、生理学和发育研究中起着关键作用。它们在经济上也很重要，经常被用作教育工具，因为它们的体型大，有魅力，容易饲养。几个全基因组的bombycoid序列的可用性提供了一个独特的机会，目标感觉基因家族，不能在许多其他无脊椎动物群体的研究。尽管它们在科学和外展方面发挥着核心作用，但它们仍然缺乏强大的遗传学。通过我们在美国和英国的合作研究团队，我们将为这个超家族组装最大的分子数据集，并构建1000个物种的遗传学。我们的700个基因锚定富集探针组已经设计并测试了乙醇和最近收集的干标本，并可以广泛应用于整个订单，取得了很大的成功，从而使这个工具有用的更广泛的遗传学community.The更广泛的影响有3个目标：（1）为增强科学提供数据和工具。分子数据和新的基因组学将为全变态昆虫最大的多样化之一内的一个主要模型组的广泛的比较特征和基因进化分析打开大门。我们的ODORS工具包旨在寻找嗅觉基因，是第一个用于非模式生物的工具包，对科学界来说非常有价值。将通过在线汇总和数据库向科学界广泛传播数据和结果。(2)促进兴趣和培养学生在各个层次和不同的背景。我们将培养2名博士后，2名格拉德生，11名本科生和数十名在校生。我们将通过针对少数民族学生和整合仍在发展自然世界概念的年轻学生来提高STEM项目的科学素养。我们还将举办关于基因组学，成像和基因进化的研讨会。(3)通过以博物馆为基础的外联活动教育更广泛的社区。我们将：（a）在FLMNH举办年度“蛾类”活动;（B）在佛罗里达大学、杨百翰大学和NHM举办一次以蚕蛾多样性和感官系统为重点的博物馆展览;（c）创造一种“博物馆之夜”的体验，在夜间开放McGuire中心的蝴蝶雨林，让游客戴着头灯观看飞行中的大型蚕蛾。

This study proposes to produce a comprehensive phylogeny of a model insect group, silkmoths and relatives (Bombycoidea) and use it to study the evolution of two principal sensory systems: vision and olfaction. The 5-year project will develop a US-UK Collaborative Partnership to cross pollinate PIs and students among 5 institutions to carry out the following objectives: 1) generate a 1000-taxon, 700-gene phylogeny of Bombycoidea to build a robust evolutionary framework; 2) quantify sensory morphology of 2 key organs (eye and antenna) that are central to insect vision and olfaction; and 3) reconstruct the evolutionary history of genes in the visual and olfactory transduction networks to test whether sensory morphology and selection on relevant genes changes between species that are active during the day or night.Nearly all animals utilize vision or olfaction as a primary sensory system. It has been presumed that species' shifts between being active in light or dark environments drives sensory organ morphology and selection on relevant genes. However, this central hypothesis remains largely untested, because a comprehensive evolutionary framework and comparative data have been largely lacking. Bombycoidea are one of the most conspicuous groups of Lepidoptera. They provide an excellent opportunity to study how 2 potentially complementary sensory systems, vision and olfaction, have evolved at day/night transitions, because species in the group have distinct activity times, diverse eye and antennal morphologies and advanced sensory gene networks. The superfamily includes many model organisms (e.g. Bombyx mori, Manduca sexta) that serve pivotal roles in studies on genetics, physiology and development. They are also economically important and are frequently used as educational tools because of their large size, charisma, and ease in rearing. The availability of several whole-genome bombycoid sequences provides a unique opportunity to target sensory gene families that cannot be studied in many other invertebrate groups. Despite their central role in science and outreach, Bombycoidea still lacks a robust phylogeny. With our collaborative research teams in the US and UK, we will assemble the largest molecular dataset for this superfamily and construct a phylogeny of 1000 species. Our 700-gene anchored enrichment probe set has been designed and tested for both ethanol and recently-collected dry specimens, and can be applied broadly across the order with high success, thereby making this tool useful to the broader phylogenetics community.The broader impacts have 3 goals: (1) Provide data and tools for the enhancement of science. The molecular data and the new phylogeny will open the door to extensive comparative character and gene-evolution analyses of a major model group within one of the largest diversifications of holometabolous insects. Our ODORS toolkit, designed to search for olfactory genes, is the first of its kind for non-model organisms, and will be extremely valuable to the scientific community. Data and results will be broadly disseminated to the scientific community via online aggregates and databases. (2) Promote interest and train students at all levels and diverse backgrounds. We will train 2 postdocs, 2 grad students, 11 undergrads, and dozens of school students. We will enhance scientific literacy in STEM programs by targeting minority students and by integrating younger students who are still developing concepts about the natural world. We will also conduct workshops on phylogenomics, imaging, and gene evolution. (3) Educate the broader community through museum-based outreach. We will: (a) Hold an annual 'Moth Sort' event at FLMNH; (b) Develop a museum exhibit focused on bombycoid diversity and sensory systems at UF, BYU and NHM; and (c) Create a "night at the museum" experience by opening the McGuire Center's Butterfly Rainforest at night to allow visitors with headlamps to see large bombycoid moths in flight.