Impact of Rising Oceanic Temperatures on the Embryonic Development of Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes

Abstract: Survival of Antarctic notothenioid fishes in the context of global climate change will depend upon the impact of rising oceanic temperatures on their embryonic development, yet little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying this complex suite of processes. Many notothenioids are characterized by secondary pelagicism, which enables them to exploit food sources in the water column and is supported in part by skeletal pedomorphism. Here the PI proposes to examine the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate notothenioid skeletal pedomorphism. The research objectives are : 1) To quantify and localize ROS production and identify the point(s) of origin of ROS production in embryonic Antarctic fishes that differ in skeletal phenotypes 2) To determine whether the time course of embryogenesis and the extent of osteological development in embryonic Antarctic fishes can be altered by changing the oxidative status of the animal during embryogenesis 3) To evaluate whether transgenic alteration of oxidative status can induce skeletal pedomorphism in a fish model. Broader Impacts will include teaching undergraduate lectures, recruiting undergraduate students to help with lab analyses (and possibly field work), lectures and demonstrations to high school students, and allowing secondary educators access to personal photos and videos of research animals for curriculum development.

摘要：在全球气候变化的背景下，南极栉棘鲈（Antarctic notothenioid）鱼类的存续，取决于海洋升温对其胚胎发育（embryonic development）的影响，但目前学界对这一系列复杂过程背后的分子机制（molecular mechanisms）仍知之甚少。多数南极栉棘鲈类群以次生浮游习性（secondary pelagicism）为特征，该特性使其能够利用水层中的食物资源，其生存优势部分依托于骨骼幼态持续（skeletal pedomorphism）。本项目负责人（Principal Investigator，PI）提出假说：活性氧（reactive oxygen species，ROS）可调控南极栉棘鲈的骨骼幼态持续现象，并将通过研究对该假说予以验证。本研究的目标如下：1）定量定位不同骨骼表型的南极栉棘鲈胚胎中的活性氧产生情况，并明确其活性氧产生的起源位点；2）探究在胚胎发育阶段改变动物的氧化状态，是否会改变南极栉棘鲈胚胎的发育进程以及骨骼发育（osteological development）程度；3）评估对氧化状态进行转基因修饰（transgenic alteration），能否在鱼类模型中诱导骨骼幼态持续现象。本研究的拓展性影响力（Broader Impacts）包括：为本科生开设授课讲座，招募本科生参与实验室分析（或部分野外工作），面向中学生开展科普讲座与演示活动，并允许中学教育工作者使用研究对象的实拍照片与视频用于课程开发。