DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Functional Molecular Adaptation: Hsp70 and Thermotolerance

本文将对一种独特的自然种群黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）进行研究，以阐明热休克蛋白（Hsp70）及其编码基因和诱导高温耐受性在适应自然温度胁迫中的作用。首先，我们将描述果蝇的5个Hsp70基因的自然变异，果蝇居住在一个小峡谷中有明显的热梯度。根据这些信息，筛选将用于评估大量果蝇的hsp70基因型，这些筛选将用于调查整个峡谷中hsp70位点的遗传变异。接下来，将评估遗传变异中相应的Hsp70蛋白表达量和诱导耐热性水平，并确定这些变量之间的关系。最后，这些变量将与峡谷内的气候梯度有关。通过利用这一理想的研究系统，拟议的研究将记录自然选择对特定基因的序列、表达和表型的作用，从而成为首批同时研究适应的多个组成部分的研究之一。

A unique natural population of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster will be examined to elucidate the roles of a heat-shock protein (Hsp70), its encoding genes, and inducible high temperature tolerance in adaptation to natural temperature stress. First, natural variation will be described in the five Hsp70 genes in Drosophila inhabiting a marked thermal gradient in a small canyon. From this information, screens will be developed to assess hsp70 genotypes in large numbers of flies, and these screens will be used to survey genetic variation at hsp70 loci throughout the canyon. Next, the corresponding magnitude of Hsp70 protein expression and level of inducible thermotolerance will be assessed in the genetic variants, and the relationships among these variables determined. Finally, these variables will be related to the climatic gradient within the canyon. By exploiting this ideal study system, the proposed research will document the action of natural selection on the sequence, expression, and phenotype of specific genes, and thus be among the first studies to simultaneously examine multiple components of adaptation.