Major
Bioinformatics
Anticipated Graduation Year
2021
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Regulation at the level of gene transcription is a critical way to regulate the production of proteins. Genes present in a euchromatic environment exhibit much more expression than genes present in a heterochromatic DNA structure. This project investigated what causes genes to be expressed despite existing in a heterochromatic environment. The fourth chromosome of the Drosophila species appears entirely heterochromatic, but has a similar proportion of active genes to that of its other euchromatic chromosomes. I annotated the coding spans and transcriptional start sites across the genes on the euchromatic 3L chromosome of Drosophila takahashii in order to allow for the identification of patterns causing the transcription of genes in these heterochromatic regions.
Community Partners
Genomic Education Partnership
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Jennifer Mierisch, PhD Biology
Supported By
S. E. Elgin, Genomic Education Partnership
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Gene Annotation of Heterochromatic DNA across Drosophila Species
Regulation at the level of gene transcription is a critical way to regulate the production of proteins. Genes present in a euchromatic environment exhibit much more expression than genes present in a heterochromatic DNA structure. This project investigated what causes genes to be expressed despite existing in a heterochromatic environment. The fourth chromosome of the Drosophila species appears entirely heterochromatic, but has a similar proportion of active genes to that of its other euchromatic chromosomes. I annotated the coding spans and transcriptional start sites across the genes on the euchromatic 3L chromosome of Drosophila takahashii in order to allow for the identification of patterns causing the transcription of genes in these heterochromatic regions.