E-mail: karen.weiler@mail.wvu.edu

There is much more to a genome than its nucleotide sequence, and how a genome is packaged within the nucleus is vital to its normal functions.  My laboratory investigates several genes having a role in chromosome structure, using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system.

Two of the genes we are studying, E(var)3-5 and E(var)3-9, were identified through mutations that exacerbate the compromised expression of a reporter gene possessing an abnormal chromatin structure.  Current experiments include the mapping and cloning of these genes.  We are also using genetic and cytological approaches to explore the functions of the protein products during the cell cycle. 

A third gene under investigation, the D1 gene, encodes a satellite DNA binding protein.  Satellite DNAs are a special class of repetitive DNAs that have been mapped to specific pericentric regions in Drosophila.  As the significance of D1 protein localization is unclear, we are generating mutant alleles to help elucidate D1 function.  A combination of genetic, cytological and molecular techniques is being applied to characterize D1 mutant phenotypes.

Dr. Weiler's Home Page: http://www.as.wvu.edu/~weiler