DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Transposon Movement Between Fruitfly and Parasitic Wasp Genomes

进化生物学中最持久的问题之一是新性状的基因是如何产生的。进化新性状的一个潜在过程是将来自外部来源的遗传信息整合到现有的基因组中，这一过程被称为水平基因转移。水平基因转移在细菌中广泛存在，但在动物中的例子很少。一类被称为转座元件的基因可以很容易地在细胞内的基因之间移动；也许它们也可以在有机体之间移动。由于寄生蜂的幼虫在与寄主非常密切的接触中发育，因此进行了一项初步研究，以确定转座元件是否能够在果蝇和黄蜂基因组之间移动：PI发现了这种水平基因转移的大量证据。PI将进行实验，旨在评估苍蝇和黄蜂之间转座基因转移的方向，并确定这些元素在它们新的基因组中的进化命运。该项目将有助于将果蝇与黄蜂的相互作用发展成为研究高等生物之间水平基因转移的模式系统。它将揭示影响转座元件入侵新基因组能力的特征。这些生物看似离奇的生活史激起了学生的兴趣，并有助于教授基本的生物学概念。这项研究的发现将被用来进一步扩大该系统在课堂和研究实验室中的使用。联合国际米兰将继续利用这个项目作为一个渠道，与不同的非专业观众讨论研究科学及其价值，否则他们可能不会接触到进化生物学和遗传学。

One of the most persistent questions in evolutionary biology is how the genes for new traits arise. One potential process for evolving novel traits is by the incorporation of genetic information from outside sources into an existing genome, a process known as horizontal gene transfer. Horizontal gene transfer occurs widely in bacteria, but very few examples in animals have been described. One class of genes, called transposable elements, can easily move between genes within a cell; perhaps they might also move between organisms. Because the larvae of parasitic wasps develop in very intimate contact with their fruitfly hosts, a pilot study was undertaken to determine whether transposable elements might be able to move between fruitfly and wasp genomes: the PIs found abundant evidence of such horizontal gene transfer. The PIs will conduct experiments designed to assess the direction of transposable element transfer between flies and wasps and to determine the evolutionary fate of these elements in their novel genomes. This project will help to develop the Drosophila-wasp interaction as a model system for the study of horizontal gene transfer between higher organisms. It will reveal characteristics affecting the ability of transposable elements to invade novel genomes. The seemingly bizarre life histories of these organisms pique student interest and facilitate teaching fundamental biological concepts. This study's findings will be used to further expand the system's uses in both classrooms and research labs. Co-PI Milan will continue to use this project as an avenue to engage in discussions about research science and its value with diverse, lay audiences that otherwise may not be exposed to evolutionary biology and genetics.