Variable tandem repeats in regulatory genes as a source of "evolvability".

Tandem repeats are extremely unstable DNA sequences. Such variable repeats also occur within coding regions. In this project, we investigate whether variable repeats located within genes encoding regulatory proteins (transcription factors, chromatin modifiers) confer phenotypic variability and evolvability. First, we will identify all S. cerevisiae genes containing and internal repeat. The variability of some selected repeats will be investigated in a set of different S. cerevisiae strains. Subsequently, we will use genetic transformation to generate a set of yeast strains that only differ in the number of repeat units they carry in a specific regulatory gene. For these yeast, we will investigate the phenotypic consequences of repeat variation in the regulatory gene will be measured (e.g. expression patterns of target genes).

Keywords:Genetics, Cjromatin, Yeast, S. cerevisiae, Evoultion, Epigenetics, Genomics

Disciplines:Plant biology