The mechanisms and evolution of phenotypic regulations by the interactions between sexual and environmental factors

• Project/Area Number: 26650151
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Miura Toru 北海道大学, 地球環境科学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00332594)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 表現型可塑性 / 性的二型 / 環境要因 / 性決定因子 / 内分泌因子 / 配偶子形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research project, focusing on sexual dimorphism and phenotypic plasticity (polypheniesm), a number of researches on the phenotypic regulations were carried out, and as the results, many insights and new findings were obtained through the studies using termites, aphids and stag beetles. In the termite caste differentiation, the juvenile hormone action is strongly involved in the sexually biased caste differentiation pathways. In aphids, mechanisms of sex determination and of gamate formation were revealed. In stag beetles, transcriptomic analyses revealed a series of sex-determination factors, on some of which functional assays were carried out.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Functional transformation series and the evolutionary origin of novel forms: Evidence from a remarkable termite defensive organ. (2016)
  • Author(s): Kaji T, Keiler J, Bourguignon T, Miura T
  • Journal Title: Evol Dev Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Pages: 78-88
  • DOI: 10.1111/ede.12179
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Sexual difference in juvenile-hormone titer in workers leads to sex-biased soldier differentiation in termites. (2016)
  • Author(s): Toga K, Hanmoto S, Suzuki R, Watanabe D, Miura T, Maekawa K
  • Journal Title: J Insect Physiol Volume: 87 Pages: 63-70
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.02.005
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Identification and functional analyses of sex determination genes in the sexually dimorphic stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer. (2016)
  • Author(s): Gotoh, H., Zinna, R. A., Warren, I., DeNieu, M., Niimi, T., Dworkin, I., Emlen, D. J., Miura, T., Lavine, L. C.
  • Journal Title: BMC Genomics Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Pages: 250-250
  • DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2522-8
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] The Fat/Hippo signaling pathway links within-disc morphogen patterning to whole-animal signals during phenotypically plastic growth in insects. (2015)
  • Author(s): Gotoh, H., Hust, J. A., Miura, T., Niimi, T., Emlen, D. J., Lavine, L. C.
  • Journal Title: Dev. Dyn. Volume: 244 Issue: 9 Pages: 1039-1045
  • DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24296
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Development and characterization of 12 microsatellite markers for the Hokkaido salamander (Hynobius retardatus) (2015)
  • Author(s): Matsunami M, Igawa T, Nozawa M, Michimae H, Miura T, Nishimura K
  • Journal Title: Curr Herpetol Volume: 34
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Intra-specific variations in reaction norms of predator-induced polyphenism in the water flea Daphnia pulex. (2015)
  • Author(s): Miyakawa H, Sugimoto N, Kohyama TI, Iguchi T, Miura T
  • Journal Title: Ecol Res Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Pages: 705-713
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11284-015-1272-4
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Social dominance and reproductive differentiation mediated by dopaminergic signaling in a queenless ant. (2015)
  • Author(s): Yasukazu Okada, Ken Sasaki, Satoshi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Shimoji, Kazuki Tsuji and Toru Miura
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Experimental Biology Volume: 218 Issue: 7 Pages: 1091-1098
  • DOI: 10.1242/jeb.118414
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] High juvenile hormone titer and abdominal activation of the JH signaling may induce reproduction of termite neotenics. (2015)
  • Author(s): Saiki R, Gotoh H, Toga K, Miura T, Maekawa K
  • Journal Title: Insect Molecular Biology Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 4 Pages: 432-441
  • DOI: 10.1111/imb.12169
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Posterior localization of ApVas1 positions the preformed germ plasm in the sexual oviparous pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. (2014)
  • Author(s): Lin GW, Cook CE, Miura T, Chang CC
  • Journal Title: EvoDevo Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Pages: 18-18
  • DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-5-18
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] 昆虫における表現型多型：多型分化の生理発生基盤 (2015)
  • Author(s): 三浦徹
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会 第８６回新潟大会
  • Place of Presentation: 朱鷺メッセ
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-17
  • Invited
• [Presentation] シロアリにおけるカースト分化の生理発生機構とその進化：社会生理学からソシオゲノミクスへ (2014)
  • Author(s): 三浦徹
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第８５回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 東北大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-11 – 2014-09-13
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Role of presoldier cuticle in the soldier-specific morphogenesis in termite (2014)
  • Author(s): Sugime Y, Ogawa K, Watanabe D, Shimoji H, Koshikawa S, Miura T
  • Organizer: International Union for the Study of Social Insects
  • Place of Presentation: Cairns Convention Centre
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-14 – 2014-07-18
• [Presentation] Transcriptomics on social interactions in termites: effects of caste presence (2014)
  • Author(s): Watanabe D, Matsunami M, Hayashi Y, Shigenobu S, Miura T, Maekawa K
  • Organizer: International Union for the Study of Social Insects
  • Place of Presentation: Cairns Convention Centre
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-14 – 2014-07-18
• [Remarks] Miura Lab
  • URL: http://noah.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/%7Emiu/miura_lab.html
• [Remarks] Miura Lab
  • URL: http://noah.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/~miu/