A growing body of evidence supports the view that regulatory evolution - the evolution of where and when a gene is expressed - is the primary genetic mechanism behind the modular organization, functional diversification, and origin of novel traits in higher organisms. Most elements regulating gene expression in eukaryotic genomes reside in noncoding DNA (i.e. DNA that does not encode protein). Recent studies suggest that much of the noncoding portion of the Drosophila melanogaster genome is evolutionarily constrained, implying that these regions are important for an organism

Public Health Relevance

Changes in genetic regulation contribute to adaptations in natural populations and influence susceptibility to human diseases (Gilad et al. 2008;Gobbi et al. 2006). Despite their potential phenotypic importance, the selective pressures acting on regulatory processes and gene expression levels in particular are largely unknown. Our research combines computational and experimental approaches to study how natural selection acts on genetic variation underlying both beneficial and detrimental functional differences in gene expression. This work will significantly improve our understanding of biology of human diseases caused by the misexpression of genes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM083228-03
Application #
8114194
Study Section
Genetic Variation and Evolution Study Section (GVE)
Program Officer
Eckstrand, Irene A
Project Start
2009-09-01
Project End
2014-07-31
Budget Start
2011-08-01
Budget End
2012-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$293,288
Indirect Cost
Name
Princeton University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
002484665
City
Princeton
State
NJ
Country
United States
Zip Code
08544
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Garrigan, Daniel; Kingan, Sarah B; Geneva, Anthony J et al. (2012) Genome sequencing reveals complex speciation in the Drosophila simulans clade. Genome Res 22:1499-511
Zhen, Ying; Aardema, Matthew L; Medina, Edgar M et al. (2012) Parallel molecular evolution in an herbivore community. Science 337:1634-7

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