实验动物与比较医学 ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (6): 676-687.DOI: 10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2025.112

• 无脊椎实验动物:果蝇 • 上一篇    下一篇

黑腹果蝇转座子的特性、调控及其在基因组进化中的作用

王也, 王露()()   

  1. 核糖核酸功能与应用全国重点实验室, 中国科学院分子细胞科学卓越创新中心/生物化学与细胞生物学研究所, 中国科学院大学, 上海 200031
  • 收稿日期:2025-07-07 修回日期:2025-08-12 出版日期:2025-12-25 发布日期:2025-12-19
  • 通讯作者: 王露(1989—),男,博士,研究员,研究方向:转座子的调控机制和功能。E-mail:lu.wang@sibcb.ac.cn。ORCID:0000-0003-2356-6245
  • 作者简介:王也(2000—),女,硕士研究生,研究方向:转座子转录调控机制研究。E-mail:wangye2022@sibcb.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金面上项目“多梳蛋白Crm抑制逆转座子的分子机制探究”(32270600)

Drosophila melanogaster Transposons: Characterization, Regulation, and Their Role in Genome Evolution

WANG Ye, WANG Lu()()   

  1. Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science/Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
  • Received:2025-07-07 Revised:2025-08-12 Published:2025-12-25 Online:2025-12-19
  • Contact: WANG Lu (ORCID: 0000-0003-2356-6245), E-mail: lu.wang@sibcb.ac.cn

摘要:

转座子(transposable elements,TEs)是基因组中可移动的DNA序列,在物种演化、基因组稳定性及基因调控中扮演关键角色。黑腹果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)作为经典模式动物,其基因组中TEs占比约20%,是研究TEs的生物学特性、宿主防御机制及功能演化的理想模型,也为理解高等生物乃至人类TEs相关疾病的机制提供了重要范式。本文系统阐述了黑腹果蝇中TEs的分类、分布特征及其与宿主基因组的动态互作,重点探讨了以PIWI相互作用RNA(PIWI-interacting RNA,piRNA)通路为核心的宿主防御系统。接着,本文详细解析了黑腹果蝇中关键TEs家族(如GypsyCopiaP-elementI-element)的生物学特性及其在基因组进化中的双重作用:一方面,TEs插入可引发基因组不稳定、杂种不育及衰老表型,为研究相关人类疾病(如神经退行性疾病、基因组不稳定综合征等)提供了模型基础;另一方面,其序列可被宿主驯化(co-option)为新型调控元件或功能基因,驱动适应性创新。最后,本文还展望了TEs未来研究方向,包括环境应激对TEs活性的调控、piRNA通路与其他小RNA系统的交互,以及TEs在衰老和神经退行性疾病发生发展中的调控效应。黑腹果蝇TEs的研究不仅深化了人们对TEs生物学的理解,其揭示的保守机制和原理,还为利用实验动物模型研究人类疾病、开发基因治疗和基因编辑技术提供了关键理论基础和重要启示。

关键词: 黑腹果蝇, 转座子, piRNA, 功能演化

Abstract:

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences in genomes that play key roles in species evolution, genome stability, and gene regulation. Drosophila melanogaster, as a classic model animal with TEs accounting for approximately 20% of its genome, is an ideal model for studying biological characteristics, host defense mechanisms, and functional evolution of TEs, and also provides an important paradigm for understanding mechanisms of TE-related diseases in higher organisms and even humans. This review systematically elucidates the classification and distribution characteristics of TEs in D. melanogaster and their dynamic interactions with host genome, focusing on the host defense system centered on PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway. Then, the biological characteristics of key TE families (such as Gypsy, Copia, P-element, and I-element) in D. melanogaster and their dual roles in genomic evolution are analyzed in detail. On the one hand, TE insertions can cause genomic instability, heterozygous sterility, and aging phenotypes, providing a model basis for studying related human diseases (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, genomic instability syndromes, etc.). On the other hand, their sequences can be co-opted by the host to create novel regulatory elements or functional genes, thereby driving adaptive innovation. Finally, the future research directions of TEs are proposed, including regulation of TE activity by environmental stress, interaction between piRNA pathways and other small RNA systems, as well as regulatory effects of TEs in the occurrence and development of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The research on TEs in D. melanogaster not only deepens understanding of TE biology, but also provides a key theoretical basis and important inspiration for studying human diseases using experimental animal models, as well as for developing gene therapy and gene editing technologies.

Key words: Drosophila melanogaster, Transposable elements, piRNA, Functional evolution

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