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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Rna In Situ Hybridization For Detecting Gene Expression Patterns In The Abdomens And Wings Of Drosophila Species, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu, Tessa Steenwinkel, William Dion, Nathan Ostlund, Komal Raja, Thomas Werner Mar 2021

Rna In Situ Hybridization For Detecting Gene Expression Patterns In The Abdomens And Wings Of Drosophila Species, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu, Tessa Steenwinkel, William Dion, Nathan Ostlund, Komal Raja, Thomas Werner

Michigan Tech Publications

RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) is used to visualize spatio-temporal gene expression patterns with broad applications in biology and biomedicine. Here we provide a protocol for mRNA ISH in developing pupal wings and abdomens for model and non-model Drosophila species. We describe best practices in pupal staging, tissue preparation, probe design and synthesis, imaging of gene expression patterns, and image-editing techniques. This protocol has been successfully used to investigate the roles of genes underlying the evolution of novel color patterns in non-model Drosophila species.


The Effect Of Nutrition On Longevity And Fertility In Diverse Drosophila: A Tor-Mediated Process, Tessa E. Steenwinkel Jan 2021

The Effect Of Nutrition On Longevity And Fertility In Diverse Drosophila: A Tor-Mediated Process, Tessa E. Steenwinkel

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Nutrition and growth are strongly linked, but not much is known about how nutrition leads to growth. To understand the connection between nutrition through diet, growth and/or proliferation, we need to study the phenotypes resulting from the activation and inhibition of central metabolic pathways. Here I use the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (D. mel.) and three non-model Drosophila species with different dietary needs, Drosophila guttifera (D. gut.), Drosophila deflecta (D. def.), and Drosophila tripunctata (D. tri.), to study the effects of dietary amino acid availability in these diverse flies on fecundity and …


Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu Jan 2021

Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Toolkit genes are set of genes that orchestrate the development of basic body plan of animals, and they are highly conserved in all animals. The co-option of the toolkit genes into the pigmentation pathway has led to the evolution of novel species. This study focuses on understanding how the complex color patterns in animals develop by using the Drosophila species in the quinaria group as models. We developed an mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH) protocol, which allowed us to study gene expression patterns in the abdomen of developing pupae of non-model Drosophila species (Chapter 2). Through ISH, we found that …


The Development Of Complex Abdominal Spot Patterns In Three Drosophila Species, William A. Dion Jan 2020

The Development Of Complex Abdominal Spot Patterns In Three Drosophila Species, William A. Dion

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Complex color patterns like the spots on leopards and butterfly wings beg the question – how did these traits evolve? To understand the evolution of novel morphologies, we need to study the differences in morphogenesis between closely related species. Here, I examine and compare the development of complex abdominal spot patterns among three species of Drosophila closely related in evolutionary time. Through in situ hybridization, I have characterized the expression patterns of three pigmentation genes among the fruit fly species. Additionally, I have built upon previous work in our lab regarding the regulation of pigmentation by beginning to develop an …