Life Sciences Commons^™

The Fruitless Gene Influences Female Mate Preference In Drosophila, Tabashir A. Chowdhury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Species can arise as a result of reproductive barriers that prevent gene flow between diverging populations that force them to remain isolated from one another. Behavioural isolation is one of the earliest acting reproductive barriers determined by the evolution of mating preferences that prevent inter-specific matings. Several traits have been identified that contribute to behavioural isolation, but the genetic basis of interspecific female preference is yet to be determined. I used genetic mapping techniques to identify and confirm that the fruitless gene is affecting species-specific female rejection of interspecies males, contributing to the behavioural isolation between Drosophila melanogaster and D. …

The Leucine-Rich Domain Of Rgnef: A Modifier Of Tdp-43 Toxicity In Drosophila Melanogaster., Benjamin Martin Withers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange factor (RGNEF) like other RNA-binding proteins, has been observed to form inclusions in the spinal cord motor neurons of both sporadic and familial cases of ALS. RGNEF has been determined to be a pro-survival factor under stress conditions. When comparing expression of different constructs of RGNEF in HEK293T cells, a Leucine-rich domain containing fragment of RGNEF (L-Rich) was found to form aggregates under metabolic stress that co-aggregated with TDP-43, another ALS-linked RNA-binding protein.

In this thesis, I used both …