DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of neuronal regulatory genes in Caenorhabditis

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The relationship between genotype and phenotype is one of the fundamental issues in biology, and yet the genetic basis of phenotypic differentiation is poorly understood. In particular, the relative contribution of regulatory and protein coding sequence evolution is controversial. This project aims to understand how the evolution of developmental regulatory genes patterning the nervous system in the roundworm Caenorhabditis contributes to among species differences. Genetic variation within and between species will be investigated to determine the evolutionary forces acting at these regulatory loci and to test the extent to which olfactory adaptations are the result of sequence divergence in transcription factors. The effect of gene duplication and regulatory divergence on phenotypic diversity will be examined using experiments in which promoter regions will be exchanged.The way that organisms look, behave and function is determined by differences in gene expression across tissues, individuals and species. This research aims to improve understanding of the evolution of transcription factors and their role in generating phenotypic diversity. The results of this study will shed light on the mechanisms promoting chemosensory differences, a functionally important trait at the crossroads of neurobiology, physiology, ecology and evolution. Understanding the genetic basis of these differences will provide valuable insights into this important group of nematodes, as well as to the general role of variation in gene regulation in generating differences among individuals.