Project
Functional annotation of human cold adaptation candidate genes in Drosophila
Genetic adaptations are important in determining long-term survival
and distribution of species across a range of different environments.
Humans are a tropically adapted species that expanded only recently
to high latitudes. The genetic basis and the molecular mechanisms
that govern human adaptation to high latitude environments,
including adaptations to diet and cold, remain incompletely
understood. We previously identified genomic regions with evidence
of positive selection in human populations living in the extreme cold
conditions in Central and Northeast Siberia. Many of these genomic
regions include genes of unknown function while showing a
significant enrichment of liver-expression consistent with the
proposed role of the liver as an important metabolic hub. We will use
Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model for the functional
annotation of poorly annotated genes associated with cold adaptation
in humans to gain a better understanding of the genetic basis and the
molecular mechanisms behind human cold adaptation.