Evolutionary aspects of gene duplication in Drosophila

• Grant number: 15/01347-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2015
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Diogo Meyer
• Grantee: Mariana Teixeira Kanbe
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Drosophila retrogenes show special movement dynamics with preferably directional movement from the X chromosome to ectopic autossome regions. Many studies support the hypothesis that such retrogenes exhibit male-biased expression pattern (testis), which is matched by the underrepresentation of male-biased genes on the X chromosome (demasculinization) and hypotheses invoking mechanisms of natural selection to explain the excess in the observed motion. This selective pressure can be either due to male meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) or by the existence of forces of sexually antagonistic selection. Thereby, to advance in understanding what causes acts in favor of this retrogenes migration pattern testing hypotheses of natural selection and intrinsic property, a tissue-specific and differential analysis of gonadal data is required. (AU)