Project description:Aneuploidy, i.e., variation in the number of individual chromosomes (chromosomal aneuploidy) or chromosome segment (segmental aneuploidy) is associated with developmental abnormalities and reduced fitness in all species examined, is the leading cause of miscarriages and mental retardations and a hallmark of cancer. Despite their documented importance in disease the effects of aneuploidies on the transcriptome remains largely unknown. Here we have examined the expression output in seven deficiency heterozygotes as single deficiencies and in all pairwise combinations. The results show that genes in one copy are buffered, i.e., are expressed above the expected 50% expression level compared to wild type and the buffering is general and not influenced by additional haploid regions. Long genes are significantly better buffered than short genes and our analysis suggests that gene length is the primary determinant for the degree of buffering. For short genes the degree of buffering depends on expression level and expression pattern. Furthermore, the results show that in deficiency heterozygotes the expression of genes involved in proteolysis is enhanced and negatively correlates with the degree of buffering. Our results suggest that proteolysis is a general response induced by aneuploidy. We prepared total RNA from flies heterozygous for seven different deletions, Df(3R)ED10953, Df(2L)ED4559, Df(2R)ED1770, Df(2R)ED1612, Df(2L)ED3, Df(3R)ED5071 or Df(3R)ED7665 in two or three single biological replicates or in pairwise combinations, as well as from six biological replicates of wild type control flies.
Project description:We analysed the effect of the deficiency Df(2R)ED3921 and Df(2R)ED50000 on gene expression in embryos (stage 0-11), and wing imaginal discs and brains from 3rd instar larvae. Df(2R)ED3921 and Df(2R)ED50000 were described in Ragab et al. (2005) Genetics 172:1069-1078 2005.
Project description:We analysed the effect of the deficiency Df(2R)ED3921 and Df(2R)ED50000 on gene expression in embryos (stage 0-11), and wing imaginal discs and brains from 3rd instar larvae. Df(2R)ED3921 and Df(2R)ED50000 were described in Ragab et al. (2005) Genetics 172:1069-1078 2005. RNA from Df(2R)ED3921 and Df(2R)ED50000 embryos was compared to a pool of RNA extracted from wild-type embryos at the same stage. For each genotype, 4 independent biological replicates were performed (2 of these dyes swapped with respect to the other two). The same experimental protocol and genotypes were used for the analysis in dissected wing imaginal discs and brains from 3rd instar larvae.
Project description:Chromosomal instability which involves deletion and duplication of chromosomes or chromosome parts is a common feature of cancers, and deficiency screens are commonly used as a method to find genes involved in different biological pathways. Still, how gene expression from whole chromosomes or large chromosomal domains is affected by deficiencies, duplications or chromosome loss is largely unknown. Using expression microarrays of deficiency hemizygotes and a duplication hemizygote we show that expressed genes are significantly buffered when present in a deficiency hemizygote and that the buffering effect is general and not mainly caused by feedback regulation of individual genes. Differentially expressed genes are in general better buffered than ubiquitously expressed genes when present in one copy. When present in three copies, differentially expressed genes are in general less buffered than ubiquitously expressed genes. Furthermore, we show that the 4th chromosome is compensated in response to dose differences. Our results suggest that general mechanisms exist to stimulate and to repress gene expression of aneuploidy regions and on the 4th chromosome this compensation is mediated by POF (Painting of Fourth). Experiment Overall Design: We prepared total RNA from flies heterozygous for three different deletions, Df(2L)J-H, Df (2L)ED4470, Df(2L)ED4651, flies heterozygous for the duplication Dp(2;2)Cam3 and flies with only one chromosome 4, or three copies of the 4th chromosome, as well as from wild type control flies. Three biological replicates of all genotypes were prepared.
Project description:To investigate the effect of sex on within- and between-population variation in gene expression, we performed a microarray analysis of adult females from 16 strains of Drosophila melanogaster, including eight strains from the putative ancestral range in sub-Saharan Africa and eight strains from a European population. The results were compared to those of a previous study of adult male gene expression variation among the same strains (GSE8843).