Is it time to differentiate?: Exploring the gene regulatory networks and compensatory mechanisms of the clock genes involved in Drosophila melanogaste

昼夜节律是地球上生命的基本组成部分。由于地球在白天和黑夜之间循环，生物体必须保持内部动态平衡。因此，生物钟基因Period(PER)和Timeless(TIM)及其蓝光依赖调节因子隐花色素(CRY)已经进化为在循环的外部环境中维持内部平衡。PER、TIM和CRY仅在胚胎发育阶段12-15表达，然而控制这一过程的调控基因却知之甚少。因此，首先要探索的是这些时钟基因的基因调控网络，从而发现PER、TIM和CRY的转录因子。我们还知道，缺乏PER、TIM和CREY对黑腹果蝇来说并不是致命的，只是导致了发育时间的改变。考虑到负责体内平衡和发育控制的基因的丢失，生存能力预计会降低，这表明存在补偿机制。因此，该项目旨在通过为时钟基因产生零突变来研究任何这样的补偿机制，以寻找在缺少PER、TIM和CRY的情况下哪些基因上调。

Circadian rhythms are a fundamental part of life on planet earth. As the planet cycles between day and night, organisms must maintain internal homeostasis. Therefore, the circadian clock genes period (per) and timeless (tim), and its blue light-dependent regulator cryptochrome (cry), have evolved to maintain internal equilibrium in a cyclic external environment. PER, TIM and CRY are expressed during embryonic development stages 12-15 only, however the regulatory genes which control this are poorly understood. Therefore, the first area to explore is the gene regulatory networks of these clock genes, and hence to discover the transcription factors for per, tim and cry. It is also known that the absence of per, tim and cry is not lethal in Drosophila melanogaster, merely causing altered developmental timing. Reduced viability would be expected, given the loss of genes responsible for homeostatic and developmental control, which suggests the existence of compensatory mechanisms. Therefore, this project aims to investigate any such compensatory mechanisms by producing null mutants for the clock genes to look at which genes are upregulated in the absence of per, tim and cry.