A great challenge that biology faces is in integrating phenomena from different scales. On the micro scale of the spectrum, we can measure subcellular processes, like gene expression
and regulation. On the macro scale, we can measure species level variation, ecological interactions, and the like. The challenge biology faces is in following the causal threads that lead
individuals, populations, and ultimately, species to the variation in traits that we see in nature. The idea that there are cascades of causality that reduce to a microscopic scale is often
referred to as the Genotype to Phenotype map (Houle and Govindaraju 2010). The Genotype to Phenotype map is ultimately a problem of measurement; what do we need to measure at each scale of
interest in order to understand and, more importantly, predict variation elsewhere on the spectrum? This thesis is focused on two parts of the genotype-phenotype spectrum. The first chapter
focuses on the macro scale, specifically on how traits maintain stasis across species. Here we use Drosophila melanogaster wing shape as a model to test whether stasis is explained by
constraint or by stabilizing selection. We test for constraint with an artificial selection experiment on wing shape. We then test for stabilizing selection by measuring flight differences
among selected and unselected flies and by testing for mate preference. In the second chapter, I focus on the micro scale by describing a method to measure the spatial properties of gene
expression patterns. Quantitative measures of gene expression currently focus on mutations in the genome and/or the magnitude of expression. This ignores the spatial components of gene
activity that are critical in the formation of pattern and the maintenance of growth during development. I describe methods to measure the spatial characteristics of genes that form discrete
and continuous patterns of expression. I then give three examples of the method by quantitatively disrupting three genes and estimating the effects on a discrete and a continuous expression
pattern. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Biological Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2014. / November 04, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / David C. Houle, Professor Directing Thesis; Wu-Min Deng, Committee Member; Michelle N. Arbeitman, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_252795 |
| Contributors | Aponte, Jose David (authoraut), Houle, David C. (professor directing thesis), Deng, Wu-Min (committee member), Arbeitman, Michelle N. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Biological Science (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (57 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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