Studies for the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Sex Change in the Stony Coral Euphyllia Anocora.

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基本資料

Project title

Code/計畫編號

MOST106-2313-B019-007

Translated Name/計畫中文名

研究腎形真葉珊瑚性轉變的分子與細胞機制

Project Coordinator/計畫主持人

Shinya Shikina

Funding Organization/主管機關

National Science and Technology Council

Co-Investigator(s)/共同執行人

張清風

Department/Unit

Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology

Website

https://www.grb.gov.tw/search/planDetail?id=12486035

Year

2017

Start date/計畫起

01-08-2017

Expected Completion/計畫迄

01-07-2018

Co-Investigator(s)

Ching-Fong Chang

Bugetid/研究經費

1235千元

ResearchField/研究領域

漁業

"石珊瑚的有性生殖是非常重要的生物現象，其可以建立新的珊瑚族群，提升整個珊瑚礁生態。目前為止，珊瑚有性生殖的內在機制仍有許多尚未瞭解的地方，進一步的研究珊瑚生殖之分子與細胞層次，將在比較生物學領域裡提供有用的資訊，也於應用生物學上提供重要的價值，如：珊瑚的養殖。過去的研究當中，我們以腎形真葉珊瑚為實驗物種，成功地建立許多重要的知識、技術和資料庫，以研究珊瑚有性生殖的內在機制。經過這一連串的研究，發現有相當高比例的腎形真葉珊瑚群體，每年都會改變其性別，但有些腎形真葉珊瑚群體則不會。至今，雖然珊瑚有性生殖研究的成果已累積超過444 個物種，卻沒有指出珊瑚有每年性轉變的現象，我們發現的腎形真葉珊瑚每年會性轉變，是一個非常有趣且重要的議題。因此未來我們將進一步地，以分子與細胞層次探討腎形真葉珊瑚性轉變機制。本計畫目前已有多項預備實驗的結果，這些成果確實能支持並推動本計畫之成功執行。本計畫預計以三年的時間，致力於探討及回答以下問題： (1) 性轉變的珊瑚與沒有性轉變的珊瑚，形態上有不同的地方嗎? (2) 性轉變的珊瑚與沒有性轉變的珊瑚，基因遺傳上有差異嗎? (3) 將有性轉變的珊瑚與不會性轉變的珊瑚綁在一起時，性別上會發生改變?還是保持原狀？ (4) 腎形真葉珊瑚的珊瑚蟲在性轉變過程中，分子層次上正在發生什麼變化? (5) 性轉變時，有哪些基因會特別表現嗎? (6) 腎形真葉珊瑚的珊瑚蟲在性轉變過程中，細胞層次上正在發生什麼變化? (7) 腎形真葉珊瑚裡，有沒有性別特異性(雄或雌)的生殖幹細胞? 本研究計畫為首次利用多種策略，如：分子與細胞生物學的技術、轉錄體及組織切片染色技術，探討珊瑚性轉變的機制。當我們發現腎形真葉珊瑚有性轉變這個生物學上新的現象後，在珊瑚生殖生物學領域中和廣大的後生動物中具有強烈的學術新穎性與重要性，並對於未來珊瑚繁殖與復育有高度的應用價值，此計畫也為國際學術界珊瑚領域最前端之珊瑚生殖生理與有性生殖的研究。" "Sexual reproduction of stony corals is one of the important biological phenomena required for establishing coral populations and hence coral reefs. To date, the intrinsic mechanisms underlying coral sexual reproduction remain largely unknown. Further investigation of coral reproduction at molecular and cellular levels would provide valuable information not only for the field of comparative biology but also for applied biology, such as coral aquaculture. Using a stony coral Euphyllia ancora, we have previously established the essential knowledge, techniques, tools, and database for studying the intrinsic mechanisms of sexual reproduction in corals. Through the course of the investigation, we found that some E. ancora colonies changed their sex every year at colony level, and some colonies did not change their sex during the investigation. To date, although a plenty of data regarding coral sexual reproduction from more than 444 species have been accumulated, no coral has so far been shown to change their sex “annually”. We believe that this phenomenon is biologically novel, and highly worth studying. We then decided to further explore the mechanisms of sex change in E. ancora at molecular and cellular levels. We have already started some preliminary experiments, and have obtained several excellent data. These data will support the successful execution of our future experiments. In the present project, we then attempt to answer the following specific questions in the future 3 years. (1) Are there any morphological differences between sex-change colonies and non-sex-change colonies? (2) Are there any genetic differences between sex-change colonies and non-sex-change colonies? (3) What will happen on the sexuality when the pieces of both sex-change colonies and non-sex-change colonies are adhered (connected) each other and maintained? (4) What are happening in the polyp of E. ancora during the sex change at molecular level? (5) What are the genes specifically expressed during the periods of sex change? (6) What are happening in the polyp of E. ancora during the sex change at cellular level? (7) Are there sex-specific (male or female) germline stem cells in E. ancora? The present project will be the first to explore the sex-change mechanisms in corals from molecular and cellular aspects using various methodologies (e.g. molecular and cellular biology techniques, transcriptomics, and histological technique). Since the phenomenon we found in E. ancora is biologically novel, the present project possesses very strong novelty and significance in the fields of reproductive biology of metazoans. Furthermore, the present project will also provide various knowledge required for the future establishment of a full-life-cycle-aquaculture system of stony corals."

DSpace CRIS

Studies for the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Sex Change in the Stony Coral Euphyllia Anocora.

基本資料

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