Ricerc@Sapienza

Stress is an nonspecific response of the organisms to biotic and abiotic environmental changes such as temperature, climate factors and chemical compounds. Stress conditions induce in animals a complex physiological response occurring at neuroendocrine, physiological and behavioral levels that may also have consequences at population level. Adverse environmental conditions may cause long-term effects on genome stability, leading to heritable alterations in genome structure. Over the last decade, it has become evident that some stress conditions and other environmental stimuli can induce the expression and the activity of transposable elements (TEs). As their name suggests, TEs are DNA repetitive sequences having the capability to move from one location to another within the genome. In this project, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) and the zebrafish Danio rerio (Dr) will be used as model species for evaluating the effects of environmental stress factors on TEs activity. The two species are particularly suitable models as they combine genetic amenability, low cost and compatible culture conditions with large-scale screenings. Beyond temperature, several types of environmental stressors due to human activity will be tested. Results will give insights on the capability of the environmental stress to act as an evolutionary force triggering genetic variability and animal adaptation. Data will also help to appreciate the effects of TEs expression on human health.