Statement on the basic and applied aspects of research to be conducted with the support of NSF Grant BSR-871876, Rollin C. Richmond, PI. The nature and extent of genetic variation in natural populations and its adaptive significance are central questions in population genetics. The use of recombinant DNA technologies allows population geneticists to specify precisely the amount and kind of variation which are found in natural populations at specific gene loci. Genetic variation in DNA sequences coding for the structure and regulation of the esterase-6 gene in fruit flies (Drosophila) will be assessed by determining the sequence of esterase-6 genes which specify different forms of the esterase 6 protein. This information will allow a test of predictions about the genetic structure of natural populations and the significance of genetic variation in the structure of enzymes. The esterase-6 gene specifies the structure of an enzyme which is involved in regulating the reproductive behavior of female fruit flies and may also be involved in the mechanisms by which fruit flies and other insects develop resistance to some classes of insecticides. Information about the structure of this enzyme may contribute to our understanding of the basic reproductive processes of insects and may eventually allow the design of insecticidal agents which are specifically targeted and less likely to be thwarted by the development of resistant strains of insects.
