Keywords

Drosophila melanogaster -- Sexual behavior -- United States, Drosophila melanogaster -- United States -- Genetics, Drosophila melanogaster -- United States -- Geographical distribution

Abstract

An organism's immune response may vary due to pathogen pressure in its environment, as well as due to interactions with other organisms. These factors, along with geographic rules (i.e. Gloger's rule) may influence the geographic distribution of the immune response within populations of a species. Here we use real-time quantitative PCR to measure the immune gene expression in six populations collected along the eastern U.S. of Drosophila melanogaster after mating. Antimicrobial genes did not show significant differences in expression due to location, whereas we did observe differences in anti-fungal and pro-phenoloxidase (anti-macromolecule) related genes. These differences in anti-macromolecule resistance are correlated with the latitude of the population opposite of which we would expect by Gloger's rule. We also determined that males and females from different populations tended to drive the differences we detected. Taken together, these results suggest that geographic factors influence genes involved in fungal and macro-pathogens defense post-mating.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2010

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Fedorka, Kenneth

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0003159

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003159

Language

English

Release Date

May 2010

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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