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，研究了模式生物果蝇（果蝇）中新基因起源的速率和模式。以前的研究已经揭示了一些年轻的基因具有独特的进化特征，其中包括新的表达模式的快速出现，加速的进化速度，以及新的基因供体序列在果蝇基因组中的不对称分布。 该项目启动了一项大规模的努力，通过最近（1000万年内）的果蝇基因组中的逆转录事件来探索基因起源。(1)研究者将通过对D.利用整合基因组分析和分子进化的方法对黑腹果蝇亚群物种进行了研究。他将在D.通过基因组杂交实验和计算分析，对黑腹果蝇基因组进行了研究。黑腹果蝇基因组序列。(2)最近，他在实验室里观察到了新基因起源的第一种模式，即不对称的逆转录。 新的常染色体基因，从X-连锁的父母的基因是更常见的比新的X-连锁的基因，从常染色体父母的基因。(3)他将通过使用DNA微阵列和其他RNA分析技术检查新基因的组织特异性表达模式来研究新基因功能的差异。(4)他将培养不同层次的年轻研究人员，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。他将通过在中西部选定的小型学院举办进化基因组学讲座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来加强对本科生的教育。 这些研究将大大增加对生物学最基本现象之一的理解：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，大量新基因的发现也将为进化基因组学的进一步研究提供宝贵的资源。此外，该项目将在进化基因组学的广泛问题方面培训年轻科学家，包括大学生

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