Statistical issues in functional genomics: temperature-dependent gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster

10.1038/14424 ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (S3) ◽  
pp. 81-81
Author(s):  
M.L. Wayne ◽  
L.G. Harshman ◽  
K.L. Simonsen ◽  
A. Salmon
Genetics ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Mary E Stevens ◽  
Peter J Bryant

ABSTRACT Mutations at the apterous (ap) locus in Drosophila melanogaster produce a variety of developmental defects, including several classes of wing abnormalities. We describe the wing phenotype produced by homozygotes and hemizygotes of three different temperature-sensitive apterous alleles grown at 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, and 29°. We also describe the phenotype produced by each of these three alleles when heteroallelic with the non-temperature-sensitive apc allele. Constant-temperature and temperature-shift experiments show that each of the heteroallelic genotypes can produce several of the previously described apterous phenotypes and that the length of the temperature-sensitive period for a given phenotype depends on the allelic combinations used to measure it. We suggest that the stage-specific requirements of the tissue for gene product, rather than the time of gene expression per se, determine the temperature-sensitive periods for apterous and other loci. The results support the hypothesis that the various wing phenotypes produced by apterous mutations are due to quantitative reductions in the activity of gene product and that failure to meet specific threshold requirements for gene product can lead to qualitatively different phenotypes.


Author(s):  
Helen Ray-Jones ◽  
Mikhail Spivakov

AbstractTranscriptional enhancers play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of gene expression programmes, particularly in metazoa. How these elements control their target genes in the right place and time is one of the most pertinent questions in functional genomics, with wide implications for most areas of biology. Here, we synthesise classic and recent evidence on the regulatory logic of enhancers, including the principles of enhancer organisation, factors that facilitate and delimit enhancer–promoter communication, and the joint effects of multiple enhancers. We show how modern approaches building on classic insights have begun to unravel the complexity of enhancer–promoter relationships, paving the way towards a quantitative understanding of gene control.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Ann Blomberg ◽  
Kurt A. Zuelke

Functional genomics provides a powerful means for delving into the molecular mechanisms involved in pre-implantation development of porcine embryos. High rates of embryonic mortality (30%), following either natural mating or artificial insemination, emphasise the need to improve the efficiency of reproduction in the pig. The poor success rate of live offspring from in vitro-manipulated pig embryos also hampers efforts to generate transgenic animals for biotechnology applications. Previous analysis of differential gene expression has demonstrated stage-specific gene expression for in vivo-derived embryos and altered gene expression for in vitro-derived embryos. However, the methods used to date examine relatively few genes simultaneously and, thus, provide an incomplete glimpse of the physiological role of these genes during embryogenesis. The present review will focus on two aspects of applying functional genomics research strategies for analysing the expression of genes during elongation of pig embryos between gestational day (D) 11 and D12. First, we compare and contrast current methodologies that are being used for gene discovery and expression analysis during pig embryo development. Second, we establish a paradigm for applying serial analysis of gene expression as a functional genomics tool to obtain preliminary information essential for discovering the physiological mechanisms by which distinct embryonic phenotypes are derived.


2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (3) ◽  
pp. R177-R188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendi S. Neckameyer ◽  
Kathryn J. Argue

Numerous studies have detailed the extensive conservation of developmental signaling pathways between the model system, Drosophila melanogaster, and mammalian models, but researchers have also profited from the unique and highly tractable genetic tools available in this system to address critical questions in physiology. In this review, we have described contributions that Drosophila researchers have made to mathematical dynamics of pattern formation, cardiac pathologies, the way in which pain circuits are integrated to elicit responses from sensation, as well as the ways in which gene expression can modulate diverse behaviors and shed light on human cognitive disorders. The broad and diverse array of contributions from Drosophila underscore its translational relevance to modeling human disease.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document