The Evolution of Gene Expression: Molecular Mechanisms and Inheritance Patterns Revealed on a Genomic Scale With Next-Generation Sequencing

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual Merit: In isolation, a gene is an inert object - nothing more than a string of nucleotide bases. Only when placed in a cellular environment and interacting with the products of other genes can a gene become active. The first step in this activation is for the gene to be transcribed, or "expressed." This expression is essential for the proper development and physiology of an organism, and mutations that alter expression are a common source of evolutionary change. Despite their importance, there are few cases in which the mutations responsible for differences in gene expression between species have been identified, and our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes that underlie regulatory evolution remain limited. This project will help close this knowledge gap by revealing the types of molecular changes responsible for the evolution of gene expression throughout the genome using the latest high-throughput sequencing technology. New computational tools will also be developed in the course of this work that will assist other researchers working on a variety of scientific questions. Broader impacts: This project will generate DNA sequence data and bioinformatic tools that will benefit the broader scientific research community. The research will also establish a technical and conceptual foundation for understanding how organisms adapt to changing environments. The project includes activities designed to increase the participation of members of underrepresented groups in the sciences and improve undergraduate and graduate teaching in genetics, genomics, and evolution. For example, the principal investigator will teach a module on "Genetics and Genomics" at the Arizona State University Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Summer Institute that enrolls predominantly minority students; host A.P. Biology students from a high school with >85% African-American students; and serve as chair of a diversity committee at the University of Michigan that develops and oversees programs designed to increase opportunities for minority undergraduate and graduate students. Pedagogical contributions include evaluating the effectiveness of a teaching technique developed by the principal investigator, contributing teaching resources to Nature Education; and promoting strategies for active learning systems in large lecture courses at the University of Michigan.