Chromatin Diminution, Development, and Genome Evolution

已知在生物体的发育过程中，一些动物和一些植物会发生大规模的基因组重排，包括大量DNA的丢失，但这些变化的机制和所起的作用尚不清楚。温加德博士将在职业发展奖中学习基于DNA的新技术，以探索一组淡水桡足类动物(浮游甲壳类动物)染色质减少和基因组重排的模式和过程，这些现象是众所周知的。针对特定类别DNA的探针将被用来测试DNA切除是否涉及特殊的基因组，以及丢失序列是否对生物体的发育具有功能影响。染色体重排和大量DNA(遗传物质)的丢失是有纤毛的原生动物、甲壳类桡足动物和线虫在个体生物体发育过程中的特征。温加德博士在一项职业发展奖中，正在应用强大的新分子方法来研究这些现象，特别是确定在发育过程中是否有某些类别的基因被切除，以及这一系列丢失是否对生长和成熟具有功能影响。这项工作将促进对动物分子遗传学和进化的理解。

Large-scale genomic rearrangements including the loss of significant amounts of DNA are known to occur during the development of the organism in several groups of animals and some plants, but the mechanisms for these changes and the functions served are not known. Dr. Wyngaard in a career advancement award will be learning new DNA-based technologies to explore the pattern and process of chromatin diminution and genomic rearrangement in a group of freshwater copepods (planktonic crustaceans) where these phenomena are well known. Probes for particular classes of DNA will be used to test whether DNA excisions involve specialized groups of genes and whether the sequence of losses has functional effects in the development of the organism. %%% Chromosome rearrangements and loss of significant amounts of DNA, the genetic material, characterize groups of ciliated protozoa, crustacean copepods, and nematodes during the development of individual organisms. Dr. Wyngaard in a career advancement award is applying powerful new molecular methods to the study of these phenomena, in particular to determine whether classes of genes are excised during development and whether the sequence of losses has functional effects in growth and maturation. The work will advance understanding of molecular genetics and evolution in animals.