CAREER: Genomic Analysis for Rates and Patterns of New Gene Originations in Drosophila

在这个项目中，龙博士通过在研究和教学中使用实验和计算基因组分析来研究模式生物果蝇(果蝇)的新基因起源的比率和模式。以往的研究已经揭示了一些具有特殊进化特征的年轻基因，包括迅速出现新的表达模式，进化速度加快，以及新基因供体序列在果蝇基因组中的不对称分布。这个项目启动了一项大规模的努力，通过最近(1000万年内)果蝇基因组中的逆位事件来探索基因起源。(1)研究人员将采用基因组分析和分子进化相结合的方法，对黑腹果蝇亚群物种最近进化的基因进行基因组筛选，以测量通过逆转录产生新基因的速率。他将通过基因组杂交实验和对黑腹果蝇基因组序列的计算分析来识别黑腹果蝇基因组中最近倒置的基因。(2)他最近在实验室观察到了新基因起源的第一种模式，不对称逆位。由X连锁亲本基因逆转录而来的新常染色体基因比由常染色体亲本基因逆转录而来的X连锁新基因更为常见。(3)他将利用DNA微阵列和其他RNA分析技术，通过检查新基因的组织特异性表达模式来研究新基因的功能差异。(4)培养不同层次的青年科研人员，包括本科生、研究生和博士后研究员，以满足该领域的迫切需要。他将在选定的中西部小型大学加强本科生的教育，在这些学院讲授进化基因组学，并每年在他的实验室为这些学校的两名学生提供暑期研究项目。这些研究将大大增加对生物学中最基本的现象之一的理解：新基因和基因组的编码部分是如何进化的？这项工作不仅有望增强我们的知识基础，而且大量新发现的基因也将为进一步研究进化基因组学提供宝贵的资源。此外，这个项目将在进化基因组学的广泛问题上培训年轻的科学家，包括本科生。

In this project, Dr. Long investigates the rates and patterns of new gene origination in the model organism Drosophila (the fruit fly) by using experimental and computational genomic analysis in research and teaching. Previous investigations have revealed a number of young genes with peculiar evolutionary features, which include the rapid emergence of novel expression patterns, accelerated rates of evolution, and an asymmetrical distribution of new gene donor sequences within the Drosophila genome. This project initiates a large-scale effort to explore gene originations via recent (within 10 million years) retroposition events in Drosophila genomes. (1) The investigator will measure the rate of new gene origination via retroposition by undertaking a genomic screen of recently evolved genes in the D. melanogaster subgroup species using an approach integrating genomic analysis and molecular evolution. He will identify recently retroposed genes in the D. melanogaster genome by means of genomic hybridization experiments and computational analysis of D. melanogaster genome sequences. (2) He recently observed in his laboratory the first pattern of new gene origination, asymmetric retroposition. New autosomal genes that retroposed from X-linked parental genes are more common than are new X-linked genes that retroposed from autosomal parental genes. (3) He will investigate divergence in function of new genes by examining their tissue-specific expression patterns using DNA microarrays and other RNA analysis techniques. (4) He will train young researchers at different levels, including undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows, to meet the urgent needs in the field. He will enhance the education of undergraduates at selected small midwestern colleges by giving lectures on evolutionary genomics at the colleges and providing summer research projects in his laboratory to two students from these schools each year. These studies will add significantly to the understanding of one of the most basic phenomena of biology: how do new genes and coding portions of genomes evolve? Not only does this work promise to enhance our knowledge base, the large number of new genes identified will also provide a valuable resource for the further study of evolutionary genomics. Furthermore, this project will train young scientists, including undergraduates, in the broad issues of evolutionary genomics