# Genetic variation and evolution of translational control in Drosophila

> **NIH NIH R01** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $323,916

## Abstract

Project Summary
Most human diseases and traits are complex quantitative traits, involving a large number of genes, DNA
sequence variants and environmental factors, and the complex interactions among them. Despite remarkable
progress in high resolution genetic mapping, our understanding of how sequence variants cause phenotypic
variation remains incomplete. Recent studies incorporating intermediate molecular phenotypes including RNA,
protein, and metabolite abundances have facilitated functional delineation of associations between DNA
variants and complex quantitative traits in humans and model organisms. However, although mRNA translation
is a critical biological process, how natural sequence variation may lead to genetic variation in translational
control and how this level of regulatory variation can contribute to within-population and between-species
diversity remain to be understood. Using Drosophila embryos as a model system, we propose to fill this gap by
1) quantifying and mapping genetic variation of translation efficiency among embryos at multiple stages from
inbred strains of a fully sequenced and deeply phenotyped Drosophila melanogaster population; 2) mapping
genes whose cis or trans regulatory variation contributes to between-species divergence in translation
efficiency; and 3) developing a massively parallel reporter assay to systematically test effects of cis regulatory
variation on mRNA translation. These comprehensive studies, when integrated with existing data in the widely
used study population, provide a characterization of the genotype-phenotype maps in unprecedented details.
They will significantly advance our understanding of how DNA variants contribute to phenotypic variation within
and between species, including variation in disease risks among individuals in human populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10242877
- **Project number:** 5R01GM138423-02
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Wen Huang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $323,916
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10242877

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10242877, Genetic variation and evolution of translational control in Drosophila (5R01GM138423-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10242877. Licensed CC0.

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