A TEST OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR EVOLUTION IN DROSOPHILA

这项提案的目标是确定变化量 存在于编码特定酶的结构基因中 自然种群中的蛋白质，以检验一个主要预测 中立的进化论。这一分析将依赖于 确定DNA序列的强有力的新策略 同一基因的多个等位基因。DNA变异将被量化 在两个物种中，黑腹果蝇和拟果蝇 包含酒精脱氢酶(ADH)和 表示白色轨迹(白色)。我们最近开发了一种 分子中性理论的保守统计检验 进化基于中性理论的预测，即水平 DNA不同区域的种内多态 应该与相应的水平正相关 物种间的分化。要收集的数据将允许 我们询问每个基因座是否存在多态模式和 分歧与中性预期不同，将允许我们进行测试 一些具体的假设来解释明显的偏离 ADH基因座及其S侧翼区域的中立性。 自然种群中蛋白质的遗传变异种类， 而作用在他们身上的选择的力量是直接利益的 对遗传病的问题和对变异的反应 环境条件。

The goal of this proposal is to determine the amount of variation that exists in structural genes coding for specific enzymes and proteins in natural populations in order to test a major prediction of the neutral theory of evolution. This analysis will rely upon a powerful new strategy for determining the DNA sequences of many alleles of the same gene. DNA variation will be quantified in two species, Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans, for a two-gene region encompassing alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) and for the white locus (white). We have recently developed a conservative statistical test of the neutral theory of molecular evolution based on a predication of the neutral theory that levels of within-species polymorphism in different regions of DNA should be positively corelated with the corresponding levels of between-species divergence. The data to be collected will allow us to ask for each locus whether patterns of polymorphism and divergence depart from neutral expection and will allow us to test some specific hypotheses to explain an apparent departure from neutrality of the Adh locus and its s' flanking region. The kinds of genetic variation in proteins in natural populations, and the forces of selection operating on them is of direct interest to problems of genetic disease and to variation in response to conditions of the environment.