Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Reproductive Diapause in Drosophila Melanogaster

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this research is to understand the population dynamics of diapause (reproductive quiescence) in Drosophila melanogaster. This trait is central to organismal fitness and population dynamics of insects in seasonal environments, and has been recently shown to be highly variable in this species. The specific aims are to examine: 1) how the expression of and ability to diapause influence other aspects of phenotype such as metabolism and physiology, fitness, and aging; and 2) the genetic architecture of diapause, including potential identification of those genes responsible for the observed variation in diapause expression. This research would involve experimentation in the field and laboratory as well as detailed molecular and genetic analyses. Diapause in D. melanogaster is an excellent system for investigating how organisms adapt to environmental variation. Diapause has wide-ranging effects on other traits including aging, and this research would contribute to the identification of pathways regulating lifespan. Many agricultural pests diapause, and information from a model organism could be directly applied and provide insights into means for population control of pest insects. In addition, these investigations have bearing on understanding evolution in novel environments, evolutionary response to climate change, and lipid-mediated life history tradeoffs in other organisms.