DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Functional Molecular Adaptation: Hsp70 and Thermotolerance

一个独特的自然种群的果蝇黑腹果蝇将被检查，以阐明热休克蛋白（Hsp70），其编码基因，和诱导的高温耐受性在适应自然温度胁迫的作用。首先，自然变异将在果蝇栖息在一个显着的热梯度在一个小峡谷的五个热休克蛋白70基因进行描述。从这些信息，屏幕将被开发来评估大量苍蝇的hsp70基因型，这些屏幕将被用来调查整个峡谷的hsp70基因座的遗传变异。接下来，将在遗传变异体中评估相应的Hsp70蛋白表达量和诱导型耐热性水平，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。通过利用这个理想的研究系统，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.