Ecological genomics of insects: climate adaptations and evolution of ecological interactions

• Grant number: 13/25991-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: January 01, 2016
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Cogni
• Grantee: Rodrigo Cogni
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlos Ribeiro Vilela ; Paulo Roberto Guimarães Junior
• Associated research grant(s): 21/06874-9 - Ecological genomics of insects' phase 2: climate adaptations and evolution of ecological interactions, AP.JP2; 17/07007-1 - Prof. M. Turelli (UC-Davis) scientific visit: collaboration on Wolbachia-Drosophila research, AV.EXT
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/00863-8 - Clinal variation in South American Drosophila melanogaster, BP.TT; 22/00567-0 - Technical training for research activities on Drosophila melanogaster clinal evolution, BP.TT; 20/15984-0 - An analysis of the phylogenetic effects, virulence and bacterial load in host shifts: the bacteria Providencia rettgeri and Enterococcus faecalis infecting flies of the Drosophilidae family, BP.MS; + associated scholarships 21/11027-3 - Technical training for support research on natural enemies of drosophilids., BP.TT; 21/06155-2 - Technical training for research activities on Drosophila melanogaster clinal evolution, BP.TT; 21/06831-8 - Tripanosomatids associated to drosophilids collected in an Atlantic Forest altitude gradient, BP.IC; 21/06834-7 - The frequency of the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia in D. melanogaster populations collected along a latitudinal cline in South America, BP.IC; 21/06844-2 - Technical training for continuing support to the research activities on evolutionary ecology of insects, BP.TT; 21/03571-5 - Technical training for support research on natural enemies of drosophilids., BP.TT; 20/03023-5 - Technical training for support the bioinformatic and research activities in evolutionary ecology of drosophilids, BP.TT; 20/03028-7 - Technical training for continuing support to the research activities on evolutionary ecology of insects, BP.TT; 20/01009-5 - Technician training for support research activities on the interaction of drosophilids and their natural enemies, BP.TT; 19/03997-2 - On the host-symbiont-natural enemy interaction: from parasitism to mutualism, BP.DR; 19/05981-6 - Technician training for support research activities on the interaction of drosophilids and their natural enemies, BP.TT; 19/03532-0 - Technical training for helping the research activities in insect evolutionary ecology, BP.TT; 18/20088-3 - The incidence of sigma viruses in drosophilids collected in an Atlantic forest altitudinal gradient, BP.IC; 18/01295-8 - Quantitative description of a drosophilid community and its natural enemies in an Atlantic Forest altitudinal gradient, BP.MS; 18/01294-1 - Clinal variation in South American Drosophila melanogaster, BP.TT; 18/01346-1 - Technical training for helping the research activities in insect evolutionary ecology, BP.TT; 17/02206-6 - Clinal adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster, BE.PQ; 16/09934-4 - Influence of host's evolutionary history on parasite and host fitness: a case study of drosophilids and Drosophila a virus, BP.MS; 16/15434-4 - A survey of bacterial endosymbionts collected along an altitudinal transect in the Atlantic Forest , BP.IC; 16/01354-9 - Clinal variation in immune-related genes of Drosophila melanogaster, BP.MS - associated scholarships

Abstract

The recent advances in molecular biology opened exciting new opportunities for studies of the interface of ecological, evolutionary and genetic mechanisms to understand the evolution of adaptations in organisms. I propose to study the ecological pressures in natural populations that influence the patterns of variation at the genomic level and result in adaptive changes. I will study adaptations to abiotic factors, as well as adaptations to ecological interactions and coevolution. I will study natural populations of genetic model organisms (flies in the genus Drosophila). This grant will support a new research program in ecological genomics of insects at Universidade de São Paulo (where I have been recently hired), and will allow the collection of natural populations, experimentation in the laboratory and in the field, including the use of modern tools of Drosophila genetics and the use of next generation sequencing. I propose four studies that will investigate important questions in evolutionary biology, and will also produce a solid foundation of results that will open the opportunity for a variety of future studies. Additionally, this project will generate important resources such as lines collected in different populations, identification of genes responsible for important phenotypic traits, genomic sequences and information about the diversity of natural enemies of drosophilids in the field. This project will be developed in collaboration with Professors Douglas Futuyma and Walter Eanes (Stony Brook University), Frank Jiggins and Ben Longdon (Cambridge University), and Paulo R. Guimarães Jr and Carlos R. Vilela (USP). (AU)

Scientific publications

(14)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

COGNI, RODRIGO; QUENTAL, TIAGO B.; GUIMARAES JR, PAULO R.. Ehrlich and Raven escape and radiate coevolution hypothesis at different levels of organization: Past and future perspectives. Evolution, v. 76, n. 6, p. 16-pg., 2022-03-23. (21/06780-4, 18/14809-0, 13/25991-0)

COSMO, LEANDRO G.; NASCIMENTO, ANDRE R.; COGNI, RODRIGO; FREITAS, ANDRE V. L.. Temporal distribution in a tri-trophic system associated with Piper amalago L. in a tropical seasonal forest. ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS, v. 13, n. 4, p. 647-652, AUG 2019. (11/50225-3, 13/25991-0, 14/50316-7, 16/01380-0)

PIMENTEL, ANDRE C.; BERALDO, CAMILA S.; COGNI, RODRIGO. Host-shift as the cause of emerging infectious diseases: Experimental approaches using Drosophila-virus interactions. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 44, n. 1, 1, 2021. (15/08307-3, 17/11774-8, 16/09934-4, 13/25991-0)

VERCOSA, DIOMAR; COGNI, RODRIGO; ALVES, MARCOS NOPPER; TRIGO, JOSE ROBERTO. The geographical and seasonal mosaic in a plant-herbivore interaction: patterns of defences and herbivory by a specialist and a non-specialist. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 9, OCT 23 2019. (11/17708-0, 13/25991-0)

COGNI, RODRIGO; DING, SHUAI DOMINIQUE; PIMENTEL, ANDRE C.; DAY, JONATHAN P.; JIGGINS, FRANCIS M.. Wolbachia reduces virus infection in a natural population of Drosophila. COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY, v. 4, n. 1, NOV 25 2021. (15/08307-3, 13/25991-0)

RODRIGUES, MURILLO F.; COGNI, RODRIGO. Genomic Responses to Climate Change: Making the Most of the Drosophila Model. FRONTIERS IN GENETICS, v. 12, JUL 13 2021. (16/01354-9, 13/25991-0, 17/06374-0, 17/02206-6)

COSMO, LEANDRO G.; YAMAGUCHI, LYDIA F.; FELIX, GABRIEL M. F.; KATO, MASSUO J.; COGNI, RODRIGO; PAREJA, MARTIN. From the leaf to the community: Distinct dimensions of phytochemical diversity shape insect-plant interactions within and among individual plants. JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 109, n. 6, p. 2475-2487, JUN 2021. (13/25991-0, 14/50316-7, 19/22146-3)

ANDRÉ C. PIMENTEL; CAMILA S. BERALDO; RODRIGO COGNI. Host-shift as the cause of emerging infectious diseases: Experimental approaches using Drosophila-virus interactions. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 44, n. 1, 2020-11-23. (16/09934-4, 15/08307-3, 17/11774-8, 13/25991-0)

RODRIGUES, MURILLO F.; VIBRANOVSKI, MARIA D.; COGNI, RODRIGO. Clinal and seasonal changes are correlated in Drosophila melanogaster natural populations. Evolution, v. 75, n. 8, JUL 2021. (17/02206-6, 17/06374-0, 15/20844-4, 13/25991-0, 16/01354-9)

PIMENTEL, ANDRE C.; CESAR, CASSIA S.; MARTINS, MARCOS; COGNI, RODRIGO. The Antiviral Effects of the Symbiont Bacteria Wolbachia in Insects. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, v. 11, JAN 29 2021. (19/03997-2, 15/08307-3, 13/25991-0, 18/01295-8)

CAO, CHUAN; COGNI, RODRIGO; BARBIER, VINCENT; JIGGINS, FRANCIS M.. Complex Coding and Regulatory Polymorphisms in a Restriction Factor Determine the Susceptibility of Drosophila to Viral Infection. Genetics, v. 206, n. 4, p. 2159-2173, AUG 2017. (15/08307-3, 13/25991-0)

COGNI, RODRIGO; CAO, CHUAN; DAY, JONATHAN P.; BRIDSON, CALUM; JIGGINS, FRANCIS M.. The genetic architecture of resistance to virus infection in Drosophila. Molecular Ecology, v. 25, n. 20, p. 5228-5241, OCT 2016. (15/08307-3, 13/25991-0)

COGNI, RODRIGO; KUCZYNSKI, KATE; KOURY, SPENCER; LAVINGTON, ERIK; BEHRMAN, EMILY L.; O'BRIEN, KATHERINE R.; SCHMIDT, PAUL S.; EANES, WALTER F.. On the Long-term Stability of Clines in Some Metabolic Genes in Drosophila melanogaster. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 7, FEB 21 2017. (13/25991-0)

BROSH, OSAMA; FABIAN, DANIEL K.; COGNI, RODRIGO; TOLOSANA, IGNACIO; DAY, JONATHAN P.; OLIVIERI, FRANCESCA; MERCKX, MANON; AKILLI, NAZLI; SZKUTA, PIOTR; JIGGINS, FRANCIS M.. A novel transposable element-mediated mechanism causes antiviral resistance in Drosophila through truncating the Veneno protein. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 119, n. 29, p. 10-pg., 2022-07-19. (13/25991-0)