The Genetics of Alpha-Tubulin in Drosophila

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Duplication and functional divergence of genes are critical steps in the evolution of complex organisms. In D. melanogaster, one such gene family encodes a-tubulin, a primary component of microtubules. Expression of this four member a-tubulin family, which contains the most divergent tubulin yet identified, is regulated in both time and space. A study of the four a-tubulins will provide useful information on two fronts: as an example of how a multigene family has been exploited, and how the individual a-tubulin proteins function in Drosophila development and reproduction. Our overall objective is to determine how cells regulate and employ of each of the four a-tubulin genes. This goal encompasses an understanding of 1) the normal expression pattern of each gene, 2) the cellular functions served by each a-tubulin protein under normal conditions, 3) the functions each tubulin is capable of serving under aberrant conditions, and 4) the role each a-tubulin plays in the regulatory mechanisms(s) that controls tubulin pools. The results of this work should give greater insight, not only in the specific details of differential tubulin synthesis, but also into a more general understanding of the regulation of expression of complex gene families.