The gene invected affects several developmental adaptive traits in Drosophila melanogaster.

PETINO ZAPPALA, A; MENSCH, J; CARREIRA, V.; FANARA, J.J.

Santa Cruz

Congreso; 5th International Meeting of the Latin American Society for Developmental Biology; 2010

Latin American Society for Developmental Biology

Development is a time-dependent process affecting complex traits at late stage of the ontogeny. Using the model specie Drosophila melanogaster, we identified several candidate genes that orchestrate the expression of developmental time (time elapsed from eggs to immature adults) and body size. Those studies were performed by insertions of transposable elements affecting the normal expression of one gene in an isogenic background. Our objective is 1) to confirm  that a set of candidate genes are involved in the expression of developmental time and body size and 2) to characterize them to obtain a better comprehensive picture of the genetic architecture of these adaptive traits.  This will be achieved through phenotypic reversion to wild type trait through transposable element excision using a scheme of crosses in selected genes of special interest. The phenotypic reversion will be confirmed by quantitative analysis and genomic studies. In addition, we will improve our study by means of localizing the organ where the candidate gene is expressed by means of histochemical techniques. Finally, several studies will be performed to understand the underlying genetic, genomic and physiological mechanisms that constitute the genetic architecture of complex traits