In vivo analysis of the coupling between alternative splicing poly-adenylation and miRNA regulation in the Drosophila Hox gene Ultrabithorax

构建动物的指令都编码在其紧凑的遗传物质中。这是在细胞核中发现的，以离散的DNA序列的形式被定义为基因。基因被复制成RNA信息，RNA信息将在细胞内存活不同的时间，并最终被翻译成蛋白质。正是蛋白质，在正确的数量和他们的特殊酶或结构特性，将实际上定义动物组织和器官的形状和功能。我们可以说基因提供了计划和想法，而蛋白质使它们发生。由于特定动物的所有细胞都具有完全相同的基因，现代生物学中的一个重要问题是确定RNA信息“如何，何时以及在何处”表达，使其最终产物能够控制动物形成的特定方面，例如，腿最终与眼睛和大脑不同。为了研究这个问题，大多数生物学家把他们的研究集中在基因是如何“打开”的。这就是DNA序列被复制成RNA信息的过程。然而，一旦产生RNA信息，它们的结构就会发生变化（剪接），这可能使它们存活很长时间或很快被破坏。我的工作重点正是能够改变RNA结构的机制，以便它们可以更快或更慢地降解。认为如果RNA被吃掉，它将不会产生任何蛋白质，基因将不会为细胞或有机体实现任何功能。在这个项目中，我将研究一个特殊的基因，一个来自果蝇，其发育功能已经被彻底研究。果蝇作为一种非常有用的实验模型已经被使用了超过世纪，用于研究动物如何构建自己。这些研究中的大多数都提供了重要的想法和信息，以了解这些动物构建过程如何在所有其他动物（包括人类）中发挥作用。

The instructions to build an animal are all encoded in its compact genetic material. This is found in the cell nuclei, in the form of discrete DNA sequences defined as genes. Genes are copied into RNA messages, which will survive for variable times within the cell and finally be translated into proteins. It is the proteins, in the right amount and with their particular enzymatic or structural properties that will actually define the shape and functions of animal tissues and organs. We could say that genes provide the plans and ideas, and proteins make them happen. Since all cells in a given animal have exactly the same genes, an important question in modern biology is to determine 'how, when and where' RNA messages are 'expressed' enabling their final products to control particular aspects of animal formation, so that for example, legs end up being different from eyes and brains. To study this question, most biologists, have concentrated their research on how genes are switched 'ON'. This is how a DNA sequence is copied into an RNA message. However, once made RNA messages can suffer alterations in their structure (splicing) that may make them survive for a long time or be destroyed very quickly. My work is focused precisely on the mechanisms that are able to alter RNA structures so that they may be degraded faster or more slowly. Think that if the RNA is eaten away it will not produce any protein, and the gene will not achieve any function for the cell or the organism. In this project I will study a particular gene, one from the fruitfly, whose developmental function has been thoroughly studied. Fruitflies have been used for over a century as a very useful experimental model to study how animals construct themselves. Most of these studies have provided important ideas and information to understand how these processes of animal construction may work in all other animals, including humans.