CURF Spring 2021 Research Fair

DNA Repair in the Functional Consequences and Cell Biological Regulation of Reproductive Arrest in Drosophila melanogaster

Many organisms modulate developmental timing in response to the environment. However, the genome-wide regulation of environment-mediated, developmental fates is not well understood. To address this gap, we investigate reproductive arrest (diapause) in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. The gene expression signatures, long duration of arrest, and maintenance of reproductive potential of flies that recover from arrest suggests preservation of genome integrity is a critical feature of this developmental fate. We characterized cell biological signals of DNA damage and mutation accumulation in arrested flies to evaluate the role of DNA repair in the regulation of diapause and its genetic consequences. Our data suggests that diapausing flies exhibit increased levels of  ᵧH2AV, a signal typically indicative of double stranded DNA breaks, while paradoxically exhibiting normal levels of double stranded breaks measured using TdT labeling. We find similar levels of de novo single nucleotide polymorphisms in the offspring of reproductive flies that experienced winter-conditions than their arrested counterparts. These analyses shed light on the cell biological regulation and genetic consequences of reproductive arrest in Drosophila melanogaster, providing insight into a model that connects DNA repair to the regulation and consequences of diapause. More generally, these results will inform our understanding of the maintenance of reproductive youth. Reproductive potential declines with age in most sexually reproducing organisms. This model, in which diapause females maintain reproductive youth by poising ovaries for DNA repair, can provide insight into the mechanisms involved in the preservation of reproductive youth at the genomic level. 

PRESENTED BY
Benjamin Franklin Scholars Summer Grant
Advised By
Mia Levine
Abigail DiVito
PRESENTED BY
Benjamin Franklin Scholars Summer Grant
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Advised By
Mia Levine
Abigail DiVito

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