The evolution of interactions affecting gene expression in Drosophila

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

The activity of genes (gene expression) is precisely regulated in all living organisms, with genes varying in the timing, spatial distribution, and extent of activity. This research aims to investigate evolutionary divergence in gene expression between species. This will be accomplished using strains of the fruit fly, Drosophila, that are hybrids between two closely related species. These strains have been tested to identify genes with expression patterns that result from interactions between the portions of their genomes that come from the two parent species. This project will locate the precise genetic differences between these species that are involved in these interactions. Gene expression results from complex interactions between genes, and between genes and environmental influences. Understanding how interactions within genomes contribute to physical characteristics of organisms, and how they change through evolution, is a critical step towards elucidating how biological systems are constructed and how they function. This research will generate opportunities for college students to experience and participate in original scientific research that lies at the interface of computational biology and genomics.