The Genetic Basis of Reproductive Senescence and Longevity in Drosophila melanogaster

大多数生物体都会出现衰老，这是一种随着年龄的增长而最终限制寿命的生理退化。衰老速度和寿命在物种、种群和个体之间差异很大，大量数据表明，这些特征受到一定程度的基因控制。识别产生这种变异的基因对于理解衰老的原因和进化都很重要。以果蝇为模型系统，进行了一系列的基因定位实验，以确定和表征这些性状的候选基因的影响。用于测绘的苍蝇将来自自然种群。自然遗传变异对这些特征的影响将揭示它们受到相似遗传途径影响的程度。该项目将为更广泛的科学界做出几项贡献。果蝇衰老相关基因的鉴定可能会在人类衰老中发现新的基因网络，因此具有重要的医学意义。所有苍蝇种群和序列数据将免费提供给其他科学家。学生将学习衰老的机制和进化理论，同时获得在数量和分子遗传学、实验设计和数据分析方面的实践经验。

Most organisms exhibit senescence, the physiological deterioration with age that ultimately limits life span. The rate of senescence and life span are highly variable among species, populations, and individuals, and a large body of data suggests that these traits are under some level of genetic control. Identification of the genes that produce this variation is important for understanding both the causes and evolution of aging. A series of gene mapping experiments is proposed to identify and characterize the effects of candidate genes for these traits, using the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system. The flies used for mapping will be derived from a natural population. The effects of natural genetic variation on these traits will reveal the extent to which they are influenced by similar genetic pathways.This project will make several contributions to the broader scientific community. Identification of genes involved in senescence in Drosophila could implicate new gene networks in human aging, and thus have important medical implications. All fly stocks and sequence data will be made freely available to other scientists. Students will be educated about the mechanistic and evolutionary theories of aging while gaining hands-on experience in quantitative and molecular genetics, experimental design and data analysis.