采用同园实验研究青海沙蜥幼体种群间适应环境特征及其形成机制

The relationship between phenotypic characteristics and gene and environment is a major concern in animal physiological ecology. Previous studies on adult Phrynocephalus lizards revealed significantly inter- or intraspecific differences in some phenotypes, including morphology, body temperature selection and metabolism. However, weather these differences in phenotypic characteristics also exist in juvenile lizards remains unclear. If they exist in juveniles, what is the cause of them? Are they caused by the impact of phenotypic plasticity or long-term evolutionary adaptation? Common garden experiment is a viable protocol to solve these problem. Here, we planned to select three populations of P.vlangalii, which distributed on the Tibetan Plateau along an altitudinal gradient from low to high. The neonates and one year age individuals will be used in the experiment. The study will be focused on the possible differences in morphological characteristics, body temperature selection, locomotor ability, resting metabolic rate, activities of metabolism related enzymes, and metabolism regulatory genes in common garden experimental groups, as well as between common garden experimental group and wild control group in specific population. We will try to figure out phenotypic characteristics differences between populations and clarify possible mechanism of animal evolutionary and adaptation at variable habitat environment. The achievement of this project will be presented as research papers. We expect 2-3 papers be published on SCI journals.

动物表型特征与遗传因素及环境因素间的关系是动物生理生态学研究的核心内容之一。申请者前期研究结果表明，世居不同海拔的沙蜥属蜥蜴其种间和种内在体型、体温选择和能量代谢方面存在显著差异。但幼体阶段这些表型具有怎样的适应特征，这些特征是长期在高原环境下适应进化的结果还是表型可塑性的影响却不得而知。同园（Common garden）实验为解决这一问题提供了可行的研究方案。本项目拟选用分布于青藏高原的青海沙蜥沿海拔梯度从低到高的三个种群作为研究对象，比较不同种群的同园实验组之间以及同一种群在同园实验组和原栖息地对照组之间，新生幼体及一龄亚成体在体型、运动能力、静止代谢率、几个代谢关键通路中相关酶活性以及代谢调控基因等方面可能存在的差异。本项目的研究成果将有助于进一步阐明青藏高原爬行动物对环境的适应特征，为其进化机制的研究提供重要的基础资料。项目研究成果预计将发表2-3篇SCI论文。

国家自然科学基金项目（采用同园实验研究青海沙蜥幼体种群间适应环境特征及其形成机制，项目资助号：31501860）在2016-2018年三年执行期间，根据申请书所列相关研究内容，开展了大量野外和实验室相关工作，以青海沙蜥玛多种群、都兰种群及德令哈种群为主要研究对象，沿海拔梯度采样并通过同园实验，比较分析了三个种群间在母体繁殖、运动及代谢、幼体形态及肝脏转录组数据，发现了一些爬行动物适应不同高原环境可能独有的适应特征，并分析了其可能存在的调节机制。.此外，课题组还和中国科学院成都生物研究所合作，开展了关于青海沙蜥、叶城沙蜥及南疆沙蜥的同园实验，通过栖息地互换，比较了不同海拔条件下三种沙蜥在转录组水平及代谢组水平上存在的差异，利用组学联合分析方法，发现不同海拔对三种沙蜥代谢的影响，并且还伴随一些与高原适应密切相关的高原适应特征，这一工作对揭示沙蜥属蜥蜴适应高原低氧低温环境的机制提供了重要依据。.三年来，项目紧密围绕申请时所提的两个研究目标展开，完成子课题项目3项，共发表SCI论文1篇，还有3篇论文处于审稿或修改状态，近期将会陆续发表。在项目执行期，先后协助课题组培养2位博士研究生及2位硕士研究生。