MOLECULAR EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS OF HAWAIIAN DROSOPHILA CHORION

近年来，人们已经坚定地认为，转录 监管在经济发展和社会发展中发挥着基础性作用 真核系统的生理调节。事实上，可能是因为 存在支配物种间表型差异的基因差异 主要是在转录层面，而不是在结构层面。 我们将研究转录调控的方式和频率 以蛋壳富集库为模式系统的演化 在短时间内建立的表型变异在进化中 夏威夷果蝇。具体地说，我们将衡量自然的 转录变异通过表征基因的特性 多种晚期次要绒毛膜基因的转录调控 表现出发散的绒毛表面表型的物种。到时候我们会的 鉴定其发育表达的转录变异基因 可以在黑腹蛇的背景下复制。这将导致 未来的实验将确定顺式作用的调控元件为 以及它们的功能和进化模式。根本的方法 是为了利用基因TB的自然转录变体来帮助选择， 通过序列分析，筛选出候选的调控DNA元件。体内检测 这些候选基因的突变版本将识别这些元素 负责 观测到的自然变异及其在后续研究中的作用 实验。 此外，晚期小绒毛的整体原位杂交 对发育中的卵泡的cDNA将扩大我们对数量和 他们的信使的分布，并将建议功能 自然转录变异体的意义。

In recent years, it has been firmly established that transcriptional regulation plays a fundamental role in the developmental and physiological regulation of eucaryotic systems. In fact, it may be that genotypic variation governing phenotypic variation between species exists mostly at the transcriptional rather than at the structural level. We will study the mode and the frequency of transcriptional regulation evolution using as a model system the rich reservoir of eggshell phenotypic variants established in short time periods in the evolution of Hawaiian Drosophila. Specifically, we will gauge the extent of natural transcriptional variation by means of the characterization of the transcriptional regulation of various late minor chorion genes in several species exhibiting diverging chorion surface phenotypes. We will then identify a transcription variating gene whose developmental expression can be reproduced in a D. melanogaster background. This will lead to future experiments that will identify cis-acting regulatory elements as well as their mode of function and evolution. The fundamental approach is to use the natural transcription variants of the gene tb help select, by sequence analysis, candidate regulatory DNA elements. In vivo assays of mutagenized versions of these candidates will identify the elements responsible for the observed natural variation as well as their function in subsequent experiments. In addition, whole mount in situ hybridization of late minor chorion cDNAs to developing follicles will expand our knowledge on the number and distribution of their messengers, and will suggest functional significances for the natural transcription variants.