The Genetics of Alpha-Tubulin in Drosophila

基因的复制和功能分化是复杂生物体进化的关键步骤。在黑腹毛虫中，有一个这样的基因家族编码a-微管蛋白，它是微管的主要组成部分。这个四个成员的α-微管蛋白家族的表达在时间和空间上都是受调控的，它包含了迄今发现的最不同的微管蛋白。对四个α-微管蛋白的研究将在两个方面提供有用的信息：作为一个多基因家族如何被利用的例子，以及单个a-微管蛋白如何在果蝇的发育和繁殖中发挥作用。我们的总体目标是确定细胞如何调控和利用四个α-微管蛋白基因。这一目标包括了解1)每个基因的正常表达模式，2)每个α-微管蛋白在正常条件下所起的细胞功能，3)每个微管蛋白在异常条件下所能发挥的功能，4)每个α-微管蛋白在控制微管蛋白池的调节机制中所起的作用(S)。这项工作的结果应该会带来更大的洞察力，不仅在差异微管蛋白合成的具体细节上，而且在对复杂基因家族表达调控的更一般理解中。

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.