GYPSY: MODEL FOR THE COEVOLUTION OF RETROVIRAL-HOST REGN

果蝇吉普赛逆转录病毒将被用作研究逆转录病毒调控进化过程的模型系统。位于长末端重复序列(LTR)和/或翻译前导区(ULR)的顺式调控区内的区域复制是逆转录病毒调控进化的一个特征。黑腹果蝇体内的吉普赛成分正在进化新的调控序列，这为研究逆转录病毒正在进行的调控进化提供了一个独特的机会。这种顺式调节的变化似乎是对宿主(染色质依赖)沉默机制的适应性反应。我们建议利用吉普赛模型来研究逆转录病毒调控进化的分子和群体遗传学原理。

The Drosophila gypsy retrovirus will be used as a model system for the study of the processes underlying retrovirus regulatory evolution. Regional duplications within the cis-regulatory regions located in the long terminal repeat (LTR) and/or translated leader region (ULR) is a characteristic feature of retrovirus regulatory evolution. Gypsy elements within Drosphila melanogaster popluations are in the process of evolving new regulatory sequences which provides a unique opportunity to study retroviral regulatory evolution in progress. Such cis-regulatory changes seem to be an adaptive response to host (chromatin dependent) silencing mechanisms. We proposed to utilize the gypsy model to investigate the molecular and population genetic principles underlying retrovirus regulatory evolution.