DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The epigenetic regulation of meiotic recombination

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

Recombination is a fundamental process in all sexually reproducing organisms. Recombination describes the process where one's paternally and maternally derived chromosomes exchange genetic material before being passed to offspring. This process helps partition the proper number of chromosomes into egg and sperm and creates genetic diversity by shuffling different gene copies. Despite the importance of recombination, little is known about what causes recombination events to occur in particular locations of the genome. One possible mechanism for selecting the position of recombination events is epigenetics, describing modifications to one's inherited genetic material independent from what is coded in one's genes. Some research suggests that the epigenetic modification DNA methylation could affect the recombination process by inhibiting certain sites from experiencing a recombination event. Therefore, this research will utilize the model system Drosophila melanogaster to directly test for a role of DNA methylation in recombination. The experiments will measure recombination with several different techniques in flies missing the gene responsible for DNA methylation, flies in which the gene is over-expressed, and flies with the normal gene, to understand how these processes are interrelated. The mechanisms of recombination and DNA methylation are fundamental to the development, evolution, and general health of organisms from flies to humans. Errors in recombination result in chromosomal defects that are lethal or developmentally debilitating. Methylation has been implicated in human diseases, particularly in the silencing of tumor suppressor genes in cancer. Understanding the interaction and regulation of these processes will have direct implications in human health and medicine.