Population Analysis of all Transposable Elements in the Sequenced Drosophila Genome

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

The project will determine the population prevalence of all ~1500 transposable elements ("jumping genes") found in the sequenced genome of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The work will take advantage of the known location of all transposable elements in the D. melanogaster genome to design specific tools to estimate the prevalence of each copy in populations. Unusually frequent transposable elements will be identified and assayed for potential functional roles. Transposable elements are parasitic genes that persist by actively multiplying within genomes. As a result they are the most genetically active component of many eukaryotic genomes. For example more than 90% of the human genome consists of old transposable elements. In Drosophila more than half of all mutations are caused by transposable elements. This project will be the first to comprehensively investigate population variability of transposable elements in any eukaryotic genome. It will shed light on the forces that maintain these parasitic genes in limited numbers, and the consequences they have for genome evolution. It will help determine the frequency with which transposable elements generate advantageous, adaptive changes and will identify these for further study. This project will also provide key information for annotation of the sequenced Drosophila genome.