Rex-Induced Recombination in the rDNA of Drosophila

果蝇和其他真核生物一样， 基因组的很大一部分，但它的组织和 功能了解甚少。 雷克斯（核糖体交换）是一种 很少有异染色质基因座已被确定，其 分析将大大增加我们对 异染色质 该位点为母源效应显性 位于X染色体的基底异染色质中， 促进核糖体RNA基因的重组， 雌性雷克斯的后代有丝分裂。 分子和 对雷克斯和雷克斯产生的重组体的遗传分析将 专注于解剖雷克斯，并了解其机制， 它诱导rDNA交换。 这个项目将增加我们对异色性的理解 染色体的区域。 异染色质很难 分析过去。 此项目使用未找到的独特方法 其他地方 对果蝇异染色质的了解将 原则上可以很容易地转移到大部分的 异染色质存在于包括人类在内的所有哺乳动物中。

The heterochromatin of Drosophila, as of other eukaryotes, accounts for a substantial fraction of the genome, but its organization and function is little understood. Rex (Ribosomal exchange) is one of very few heterochromatic loci that have been identified, and its analysis will provide a significant increase in our understanding of heterochromatin. This locus is a maternal-effect dominant located in the basal heterochromatin of the X chromosome that promotes recombination of the ribosomal RNA genes during early mitotic divisions in offspring of Rex females. Molecular and genetic analysis of Rex and of Rex-generated recombinants will focus on dissecting Rex, and on understanding the mechanism by which it induces rDNA exchange. This project will increase our understanding of the heterochromatic regions of chromosomes. Heterochromatin has been difficult to analyze in the past. This project uses unique methods not found elsewhere. An understanding of heterochromatin in fruit flies will be readily transferable in principle to the large fraction of heterochromatin found in all mammals including man.