A unique aspect of organisms that reproduce sexually is the ability to recombine genes and traits from two parents in the next generation, potentially selecting those trait combinations that are most favorable and getting rid of those that are not. The amount of trait recombination varies a great deal with factors such as species, sex, position in the genome of the underlying genes, and environmental conditions such as nutrition, age, temperature, and number of matings. Variation due to the number of matings is an interesting result that leads to the scientific question of whether this could be due to changes that are elicited by males. This project tests for a male-mediated effect on the recombination of traits in their offspring, using the classic model species Drosophila melanogaster to assess whether genetic background, environmental condition, or some combination of the two cause variation in the ability of males to alter their children's level of variation through changing recombination rate. Drosophila males are unique in that they do not carry out recombination; thus the trait proposed could be an indirect mechanism for males to influence the diversity of their progeny.
Understanding factors that contribute to variation in recombination rate is of broad importance to human well being, as recombination plays an important role in certain types of cancers, such as human breast cancer. Further, because environmental conditions are known to alter recombination rates, these environmental triggers are important in our understanding of how such environmental factors as temperature and nutrition may influence genetic diversity in future generations. This project will provide research-based training to and undergraduate and a graduate student and will support classroom lectures and other public and public school education and outreach by the CoPI.
