REGULATION AND EVOLUTION OF MULTIGENE FAMILIES

近年来，已经确定多基因家族是 这是高等真核生物基因组中普遍存在的重要特征。 基因家族尤其重要，因为它们通常编码复杂的 分化的细胞表型的方面，并可能在 发育和生理调节。 基因家族也是 重要的是，它们揭示了真核生物多样化的过程， 基因组，并保持某些遗传特征相对 不变量--包括可能涉及 发育调节 我们正在研究结构基因家族的进化， 控制其发育表达的调控元件，用作 家蚕绒膜多基因家族的模式系统。 我们想记录下 这些家族中的结构基因是如何进化的， 突变的固定（取代和缺失/重复）以及 通过基因转换。 此外，我们还想比较和对比 结构绒毛膜基因的进化， 可能参与基因调控的非转录序列 表情 这里的基本方法是精确定义家庭， 并将其与这些基因的序列特征及其 DNA的侧翼 最后，我们希望继续分析 复杂的绒毛膜结构的形态发生，通过利用 在进化过程中建立的变异，以及研究一些新的 发现了家蚕绒膜突变体。

In recent years, it has been firmly established that multigene families are a ubiquitous and important feature in the genomes of higher eucaryotes. Gene families are especially important since they often encode complex aspects of differentiated cell phenotypes and may play key roles in developmental and physiological regulation. Gene families are also important because they reveal the processes that both diversify eucaryotic genomes and maintain certain genetic features relatively invariant--including sequence elements that may be involved in developmental regulation. We are studying that evolution of structural gene families and of the regulatory elements controlling their developmental expression, using as a model system the silkmoth chorion multigene families. We want to document how the structural genes in these families have evolved, by localized fixation of mutations (subtitutions and deletions/duplications) as well as by gene conversion. Furthermore, we want to compare and contrast the evolution of the structural chorion genes with the evolution of non-transcribed sequences that may be involved in the regulation of gene expression. The fundamental approach here is to define precisely families, and to relate it to the sequence features of these genes and their immediately flanking DNA. Finally, we wish to pursue our analysis of the morphogenesis of the complex chorion structure, by taking advantage of variations established during evolution as well as studying some newly discovered chorion mutants in Bombyx mori.