Is it time to differentiate?: Exploring the gene regulatory networks and compensatory mechanisms of the clock genes involved in Drosophila melanogaste

是时候分化了吗？：探索果蝇时钟基因的基因调控网络和补偿机制

• 批准号: 2737778
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Leicester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2737778
• 关键词: time; differentiate; Exploring; gene; regulatory

Circadian rhythms are a fundamental part of life on planet earth. As the planet cycles between day and night, organisms must maintain internal homeostasis. Therefore, the circadian clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim), and its blue light-dependent regulator cryptochrome (cry), have evolved to maintain internal equilibrium in a cyclic external environment. PER, TIM and CRY are expressed during embryonic development stages 12-15 only, however the regulatory genes which control this are poorly understood. Therefore, the first area to explore is the gene regulatory networks of these clock genes, and hence to discover the transcription factors for per, tim and cry. It is also known that the absence of per, tim and cry is not lethal in Drosophila melanogaster, merely causing altered developmental timing. Reduced viability would be expected, given the loss of genes responsible for homeostatic and developmental control, which suggests the existence of compensatory mechanisms. Therefore, this project aims to investigate any such compensatory mechanisms by producing null mutants for the clock genes to look at which genes are upregulated in the absence of per, tim and cry.

昼夜节律是地球生命的基本组成部分。随着地球昼夜循环，生物体必须保持内部稳态。因此，生物钟基因 period (per) 和 timeless (tim) 及其依赖于蓝光的调节剂隐花色素 (cry) 已经进化到在循环的外部环境中维持内部平衡。 PER、TIM 和 CRY 仅在胚胎发育阶段 12-15 期间表达，但控制其的调控基因却知之甚少。因此，第一个要探索的领域是这些时钟基因的基因调控网络，从而发现 per、tim 和 cry 的转录因子。还已知，per、tim 和cry 的缺失对于果蝇来说并不致命，只会导致发育时间的改变。鉴于负责稳态和发育控制的基因的丢失，预计生存能力会降低，这表明补偿机制的存在。因此，该项目旨在通过为时钟基因产生无效突变体来研究任何此类补偿机制，以观察哪些基因在缺少 per、tim 和cry 的情况下上调。