The evolution of gene expression in Drosophila

描述(申请人提供)：这项拟议的研究旨在确定在两个密切相关物种之间的基因表达网络中产生功能差异的分子机制和进化过程。这将由实验启动，该实验旨在测量仿生果蝇的基因在基因组中的表达，这些仿生果蝇的基因组中的一段被密切相关物种毛果果蝇的同源片段取代。识别在这些不同于亲本物种的这些基因中表达模式的基因将提供对基因表达的异种相互作用方面的洞察。这也将为异种基因型中新基因表达相关因子的定位克隆提供候选。一旦确定了这些因素，功能和比较方法将被用来确定支持新表达的分子机制。最后，将获得这些相互作用所涉及的两个物种内的种内基因和表型变异，以确定导致这两个物种中不相容等位基因固定的进化力量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research aims to identify both the molecular mechanisms that underlie and the evolutionary processes that have produced functional divergence within gene expression networks between two closely related species. This will be initiated by experiments designed to measure gene expression across the genome for genotypes of Drosophila simulans that have had a segment of their genome replaced with the homologous segment from the closely related species Drosophila mauritiana. Identification of genes with patterns of expression in these genotype that are different from either parent species will provide insight into aspects of heterospecific interactions on gene expression. This will also provide candidate for the positional cloning of factors responsible for novel gene expression in the heterospecific genotypes. Once these factors have been identified, functional and comparative methods will be used to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the novel expression. Finally, intraspecific genotypic and phenotypic variation within both species at loci implicated in these interactions will be obtained to identify the evolutionary forces that have led to the fixation of the incompatible alleles in these two species.