Collaborative Research: Molecular basis of life history evolution in Drosophila

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Humans and other organisms are enormously genetically variable, even for traits like lifespan and fertility. During the past decade, genes affecting longevity and fertility have been discovered by mutating those genes in laboratory animals and observing the resulting effects. For example, mutations in genes controlling insulin signaling can increase the longevity of worms, flies, and mice by 100% or more. These results beg the question of whether the same genes are responsible for natural variation among individuals, populations, and species in longevity and fertility. This project addresses this question by discovering the genetic basis of life history differences in artificially-selected and in natural populations of an insect, Drosophila melanogaster, for which powerful genetic techniques are available. Expression profiling, genetic mapping, and new statistical techniques will be deployed to identify the genes contributing to longevity and fertility differences between populations. Genes causing variation in longevity and fertility have significant impact on human health and well being. Most of the proposed candidate genes are shared between insects and mammals (including humans), and knowing which genes cause variation in non-inbred animals has important implications for biomedicine. Other significant effects will include training of undergraduate and graduate researchers in the laboratories of all three investigators, and at two ?mini-symposia? that will include all participants, and development of new analytical tools.