Fruit flies return to Africa

Drosophila melanogaster genomes show natural selection and these flies return to Africa . This publication was published in the Journal of Genetics and PloS Genetics this month.

When the ancient people left Africa thousands of years ago, they brought fruit flies along with their journey. Today fruit flies are widely used in genetic studies that are returning to Africa and establishing new populations with flies here. This helps researchers understand more about phenotypic genetic variation.

This discovery was published by researchers at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) and colleagues. They described the haploid genome of nearly 200 tiny flies.

This study shows clear evidence of common natural selection across the entire haploid gene of fruit flies (D. melanogaster), Charles Langley - professor of genetics at the Department of Evolution and Ecology at the University. California Davis and one of the authors said.

'This contrasts sharply with what is known about the human genome. The human genome has adapted relatively little over the last 100,000 years. '

Langley said the overall goal of the study is to better understand the factors that cause phenotypic variation. Human geneticists are working to organize thousands of human genes to study this problem. Knowledge comes from genetic studies in flies that are and will aid in that effort.

"Most of the theory and statistical methods in human genetics are motivated by studies of flies, because research in flies is easy and quick for results ," Langley said.

"Patterned creatures like flies play an important role in developing tools and ideas."

The first article published on October 1 in Genetics reports on the genomes of 37 strains of fruit flies. These strains of fruit flies were collected in Raleigh, NC and 6 strains from sub-Saharan countries in Malawi. In the second article published in PloS Genetics and still available on the internet as a manuscript, describes the genome of 139 strains of European and African fruit flies.

Drosophila melanogaster, like humans, originated in Africa and that's where they have the greatest genetic diversity - just like humans. Flies are thought to have appeared in Europe about 50,000 years ago, along with modern humans. The genetic diversity in both humans and flies has decreased in this journey. Over the generations, strains of flies have developed quite specifically.

However, the African fly genome shows that in the past few decades, flies have been similar to those found in Europe or the United States. They have established populations in Africa, often in new environments such as urban and industrial development.

The spread of "European" genes is faster if it is caused by random processes, the researchers said.

'Maybe urbanization and development is beneficial for' European 'flies , " Langley said.

UC Davis is known for its research on ecology, genetics and evolution.

UC Davis researchers have attempted to sequence the genes of many plants and animals, including wheat, rice, cucumbers, horses, cats and chickens.