CAREER: Genomic Analysis for Rates and Patterns of New Gene Originations in Drosophila

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

In this project, Dr. Long investigates the rates and patterns of new gene origination in the model organism Drosophila (the fruit fly) by using experimental and computational genomic analysis in research and teaching. Previous investigations have revealed a number of young genes with peculiar evolutionary features, which include the rapid emergence of novel expression patterns, accelerated rates of evolution, and an asymmetrical distribution of new gene donor sequences within the Drosophila genome. This project initiates a large-scale effort to explore gene originations via recent (within 10 million years) retroposition events in Drosophila genomes. (1) The investigator will measure the rate of new gene origination via retroposition by undertaking a genomic screen of recently evolved genes in the D. melanogaster subgroup species using an approach integrating genomic analysis and molecular evolution. He will identify recently retroposed genes in the D. melanogaster genome by means of genomic hybridization experiments and computational analysis of D. melanogaster genome sequences. (2) He recently observed in his laboratory the first pattern of new gene origination, asymmetric retroposition. New autosomal genes that retroposed from X-linked parental genes are more common than are new X-linked genes that retroposed from autosomal parental genes. (3) He will investigate divergence in function of new genes by examining their tissue-specific expression patterns using DNA microarrays and other RNA analysis techniques. (4) He will train young researchers at different levels, including undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows, to meet the urgent needs in the field. He will enhance the education of undergraduates at selected small midwestern colleges by giving lectures on evolutionary genomics at the colleges and providing summer research projects in his laboratory to two students from these schools each year. These studies will add significantly to the understanding of one of the most basic phenomena of biology: how do new genes and coding portions of genomes evolve? Not only does this work promise to enhance our knowledge base, the large number of new genes identified will also provide a valuable resource for the further study of evolutionary genomics. Furthermore, this project will train young scientists, including undergraduates, in the broad issues of evolutionary genomics