Identification and Characterization of Functional Constraints Operating on the Gene Organization of the Drosophila Genome

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will advance understanding of the relationship between the organization of genes on chromosomes and the probability of occurrence of macromutations that alter chromosomes. The organization of genes on chromosomes can be important for proper gene function, which sometimes requires the interplay of genetic factors far apart on the chromosome. Methods that enable the manipulation of fruit flies chromosomes will be used to test the consequences of induced rearrangements on the function of genes putatively under the influence of these long-range effects. This project aims at answering why particular regions of chromosomes have been conserved among distantly related species while others often exhibit an unusual association with macromutations. Broader Impacts: From the training standpoint, this project will help train one postdoc, six undergraduates, and six high-school students in the analysis of the function of genomes and evolutionary biology. Members of underrepresented groups will be preferentially benefited by the research activities to be developed. Participants will also have the opportunity to hone their presentation skills. In addition, specific activities in this project will be adapted and integrated into the teaching activities of the PI. All data and materials generated will be made publicly available to the scientific community and deposited in appropriate repositories.