DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Transposon Movement Between Fruitfly and Parasitic Wasp Genomes

进化生物学中最持久的问题之一是新性状的基因是如何产生的。进化新性状的一个潜在过程是将外部来源的遗传信息整合到现有的基因组中，这一过程被称为水平基因转移。水平基因转移广泛存在于细菌中，但在动物中的例子很少。有一类基因，称为转座因子，可以在细胞内的基因间轻易移动;也许它们也可以在生物体间移动。由于寄生蜂的幼虫在发育过程中与其果蝇宿主密切接触，因此进行了一项初步研究，以确定转座因子是否能够在果蝇和黄蜂基因组之间移动：PI发现了这种水平基因转移的大量证据。研究人员将进行旨在评估苍蝇和黄蜂之间转座因子转移方向的实验，并确定这些因子在其新基因组中的进化命运。本项目将有助于发展果蝇-黄蜂相互作用作为研究高等生物之间水平基因转移的模型系统。它将揭示影响转座因子侵入新基因组能力的特征。这些生物看似奇异的生活史激起了学生的兴趣，并促进了基本生物学概念的教学。这项研究的结果将用于进一步扩大该系统在教室和研究实验室的使用。 Co-PI Milan将继续利用该项目作为一种途径，与不同的非专业观众讨论研究科学及其价值，否则这些观众可能不会接触进化生物学和遗传学。

One of the most persistent questions in evolutionary biology is how the genes for new traits arise. One potential process for evolving novel traits is by the incorporation of genetic information from outside sources into an existing genome, a process known as horizontal gene transfer. Horizontal gene transfer occurs widely in bacteria, but very few examples in animals have been described. One class of genes, called transposable elements, can easily move between genes within a cell; perhaps they might also move between organisms. Because the larvae of parasitic wasps develop in very intimate contact with their fruitfly hosts, a pilot study was undertaken to determine whether transposable elements might be able to move between fruitfly and wasp genomes: the PIs found abundant evidence of such horizontal gene transfer. The PIs will conduct experiments designed to assess the direction of transposable element transfer between flies and wasps and to determine the evolutionary fate of these elements in their novel genomes. This project will help to develop the Drosophila-wasp interaction as a model system for the study of horizontal gene transfer between higher organisms. It will reveal characteristics affecting the ability of transposable elements to invade novel genomes. The seemingly bizarre life histories of these organisms pique student interest and facilitate teaching fundamental biological concepts. This study's findings will be used to further expand the system's uses in both classrooms and research labs. Co-PI Milan will continue to use this project as an avenue to engage in discussions about research science and its value with diverse, lay audiences that otherwise may not be exposed to evolutionary biology and genetics.