Dissertation Research: Population Genetics of Drosophila Pseudoobscura Segmental Duplications

我们将使用自然种群和其他物种的DNA序列来研究自然选择、遗传重组和基因组结构如何影响假黑果蝇最近复制的基因的进化。复制之间的进化速率将被比较；不同的速率将表明基因复制在不同的选择机制下。多个个体将被检测复制的频率，以测试最近的复制是否由于选择而在频率上迅速增加。统计检验将被用来检测复制序列中自然选择和基因重组的特征。将研究不同染色体(一个倒置和一个非倒置)上的复制，以确定基因组重排在复制基因的早期进化中所起的作用。基因复制是一种重要的进化机制，可以导致具有新功能的基因的进化。近缘物种基因组数据的可获得性暴露了进化过程中不同阶段的大量基因复制。这项研究是深入了解复制基因进化早期阶段的最早尝试之一。本科生将有机会参与数据收集，他们将学习有价值的分子技术，如聚合酶链式反应、凝胶电泳和DNA测序。

How natural selection, genetic recombination, and genome structure affect the evolution of recently duplicated genes in Drosophila pseudoobscura will be examined using DNA sequences from natural populations and other species. Rates of evolution between duplicates will be compared; unequal rates would suggest that gene duplicates are under different selective regimes. Multiple individuals will be assayed for the frequency of the duplications to test whether the recent duplications have rapidly increased in frequency due to selection. Statistical tests will be used to detect signatures of natural selection and genetic recombination in the sequences of the duplications. Duplications on different chromosomes (one inverted and one non-inverted) will be studied to determine what role genome rearrangements play in the early evolution of duplicated genes. Gene duplication is an important evolutionary mechanism that can lead to the evolution of genes with new functions. The availability of genome data from closely related species has exposed numerous gene duplications at various stages in the evolutionary process. This study represents one of the first attempts to gain insights into the early stages of the evolution of duplicated genes. Undergraduate students will be given the opportunity to participate in data collection, and they will learn valuable molecular techniques such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing.