Dissertation Research: Molecular Characterization and Population Biology of P Elements in Natural Populations of Drosophila

论文研究：果蝇自然种群中 P 元素的分子特征和种群生物学

• 批准号: 9701252
• 负责人: Margaret Kidwell
• 金额: $ 1万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-06-01 至 1999-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9701252&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Molecular; Characterization; Population

9701252 Kidwell Transposable elements (TEs) are present in most organisms, including humans, flies, plants and bacteria, where they can constitute up to 40% or more of the genetic material. Despite their abundance, very little is known about how TEs evolve. This project is to study the evolution of P elements, a family of TEs found in fruitflies of the genus Drosophila. TEs are mobile DNA segments that can self-replicate and insert into new chromosomal sites of the host species. Like viruses, they can also transfer to new hosts. P element DNA of flies of two Drosophila species will be sequenced. The goals are 1) to assess variation in P element structure and sequence in natural populations; 2) to investigate nucleotide substitution rates in different element regions and to assess what those rates reveal about the presence of selective constraints; and 3) to estimate the rate of transfer of P elements between Drosophila species. This investigation will contribute to understanding the processes that determine the evolution and maintenance of TEs in genomes through time. Because TEs and viruses have similarities in host invasion capabilities and in DNA structure, these results will shed light on how viruses themselves are maintained and evolve in their host organisms.

9701252 KIDWELL转座元件（TES）都存在于大多数生物体中，包括人，苍蝇，植物和细菌，它们可以构成高达40％或更多的遗传物质。 尽管它们丰富，但对TES的发展知之甚少。 该项目是研究P元素的演变，P元素是果蝇属的果蝇中发现的TES家族。 TES是可以自我重复并插入宿主物种的新染色体部位的移动DNA段。 像病毒一样，它们也可以转移到新宿主。将测序两种果蝇物种的蝇的P元素DNA。 目标是1）评估自然种群中P元素结构和顺序的变化； 2）研究不同元素区域中核苷酸的取代率，并评估这些速率揭示了选择性约束的情况； 3）估计果蝇物种之间P元素的传递速率。 这项研究将有助于理解确定基因组中TE演变和维持的过程。 由于TES和病毒在宿主入侵能力和DNA结构方面具有相似性，因此这些结果将阐明病毒本身如何在其宿主生物中保持和进化。