Research Project:
Establishment of insect colonies for the study of obligate endosymbiosis in insects

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ID
6.2018/20
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Description
Endosymbiosis is widespread in nature. In spite of its importance, the mechanisms of endosymbiosis remain poorly understood at the developmental genetic level. The overall goal of our research program is to study the developmental genetic basis of endosymbiosis in animals especially ants and hemipterans. Some ants harbor endosymbiotic bacteria while more ancient ants do not. Evidence shows that carpenter ants acquired endosymbiotic bacteria from hemipterans. Preliminary data in ants shows that expression of genes responsible for providing positional information in the embryo for organizing ant body is initiated by endosymbionts and that major rearrangements of the host embryo have been necessary for developmental integration of the endosymbiont. Moreover, the involvement of conserved genes in endosymbiosis between ants and hemipterans points out a possible deeply conserved genetic program as a link between primary host of endosymbionts and their secondary hosts. This general pattern may explain how the evolution of organelles such as mitochondria from an initial single event could have spread to the entire eukaryotic life forms through secondary endosymbiosis facilitated by an established relationship in a primary host. The aim of this specific project is to establish the insect colonies in the laboratory and to setup molecular biology techniques for these systems at BILSAB. We will explore the natural associations of these insects in Turkey and conduct genetic and developmental experiments with these colonies. The results of this project will establish the developmental genetic system to address the broader questions of endosymbiosis and its role in living organisms.
Keywords
Sağlık Bilimleri
Tarımsal Bilimler
Temel Bilimler
Health Sciences
Agricultural Sciences
Natural Sciences
Tarım ve Çevre Bilimleri (AGE)
Klinik Tıp (MED)
Temel Bilimler (SCI)
Doğa Bilimleri Genel
ÇOK DİSİPLİNLİ BİLİMLER
Agriculture & Environment Sciences (AGE)
Clinical Medicine (MED)
Natural Sciences (SCI)
NATURAL SCIENCES, GENERAL
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Multidisciplinary