The Evolution of Cell, Organ, and Body Size Allometry

9528392动物的体型是通过调节细胞大小和细胞数量来控制的。我们对调节细胞大小和细胞分裂以产生特定大小动物的机制知之甚少。本研究旨在了解细胞大小和细胞数量变化在体型进化过程中的相对重要性，并确定控制这种变化的基因。它将把重点放在果蝇上，因为它们的大小范围很广，而且在它们的遗传学和发育生物学方面存在着大量的数据。在想像椎间盘发育过程中测量细胞大小和数量将确定导致体型变化的发育步骤。比较分析将确定体型差异的进化模式，杂交研究将寻求绘制控制体型的基因图谱。这一结果将增加我们对控制体型的因素的理解，以及导致动物细胞大小和体型变化的机制。

9528392 Body size of animals is controlled by adjustments in cell size and cell number. We know relatively little about mechanisms that regulate cell size and cell division to yield an animal of a particular size. This research seeks to understand the relative importance of changes in cell size and cell number during evolutionary changes in body size, and to identify the genes that control such changes. It will focus on Drosophila because they exhibit a wide range of sizes and because of the extensive data that exist on their genetics and developmental biology. Measurements of cell size and number during development of imaginal discs will identify the developmental steps that lead to changes in body size. A comparative analysis will identify the pattern of evolution of body size differences, and a hybridization study will seek to map the genes that control body size. The results will increase our understanding of the factors that control body size, and the mechanisms that lead to changes in cell size and body size of animals.