EAGER: Drosophila evolutionary phenomics: Public resource to support genotype-phenotype studies

Syracuse University, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

It is increasingly easy to sequence the genomes of species. The utility of genomic resources, however, is limited without knowledge of the complex developmental, physiological, morphological and behavioral traits that genes code for. Indeed, improving the ability to predict important traits (e.g., lifespan, disease) from knowledge of genotypes is one of the top priorities of modern biology. Much research uses the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to map phenotypes onto genotypes. This project will begin by characterizing a set of traits that capture core aspects of life history for ~250 related species of Drosophila. These analyses will be complemented by mapping genotype-phenotype relationships across the 30 species of Drosophila with fully-sequenced genomes. All data will be made available through a public database. This resource will enable strategic decisions about future genome sequencing priorities. Furthermore, the database will assist the integrated study of diverse life history traits in the context of both resource ecology and phylogeny. Using standardized protocols, all ~250 species of Drosophila and related genera (Samoaia, Scaptomyza, Zaprionus and Gitona) maintained by the Drosophila Species Stock Center will be phenotyped for a set of 18 morphological, behavioral, physiological and developmental traits, Collectively, these traits capture core aspects of sexual selection and life-history syndromes, in addition to providing characters relevant to ecological selection. These data form the basis for a valuable public database on Drosophila "evolutionary phenomics," along with accompanying phylogenetic resources. The data will also be used for two kinds of state-of-the-art comparative analyses. First, Bayesian phylogenetic modeling, applied to data for all species, will be used to evaluate rates of diversification and co-evolutionary dynamics among character states and across the clade using a range of alternative trait diversification models. Second, two complementary analytical approaches will be applied to all Drosophila species with fully-sequenced genomes to explore genotype-phenotype relationships for all traits, with the goals of identifying candidate genes underlying trait diversification and setting the stage for studies of the molecular evolution and genomic architecture of Drosophila biodiversity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.