The evolution of gene expression in Drosophila

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究旨在确定两个密切相关物种之间基因表达网络中产生功能差异的分子机制和进化过程。这将由旨在测量模拟果蝇基因型基因组中基因表达的实验启动，这些模拟果蝇的基因组片段已被来自密切相关物种毛里求斯果蝇的同源片段所取代。鉴定这些基因型中具有不同于亲本物种的表达模式的基因将有助于深入了解异种相互作用对基因表达的影响。这也将为异种基因型中负责新基因表达的因子的定位克隆提供候选基因。一旦这些因素被确定，功能和比较方法将被用来确定新表达的分子机制。最后，将获得两个物种中与这些相互作用有关的位点的种内基因型和表型变异，以确定导致这两个物种中不相容等位基因固定的进化力量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research aims to identify both the molecular mechanisms that underlie and the evolutionary processes that have produced functional divergence within gene expression networks between two closely related species. This will be initiated by experiments designed to measure gene expression across the genome for genotypes of Drosophila simulans that have had a segment of their genome replaced with the homologous segment from the closely related species Drosophila mauritiana. Identification of genes with patterns of expression in these genotype that are different from either parent species will provide insight into aspects of heterospecific interactions on gene expression. This will also provide candidate for the positional cloning of factors responsible for novel gene expression in the heterospecific genotypes. Once these factors have been identified, functional and comparative methods will be used to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the novel expression. Finally, intraspecific genotypic and phenotypic variation within both species at loci implicated in these interactions will be obtained to identify the evolutionary forces that have led to the fixation of the incompatible alleles in these two species.