Phenotypic plasticity and genotype by environment interaction for olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: Genotype by environment interactions (GEI) play a major part in shaping the genetic architecture of quantitative traits and are confounding factors in genetic studies, for example, in attempts to associate genetic variation with disease susceptibility. It is generally not known what proportion of phenotypic variation is due to GEI and how many and which genes contribute to GEI. Behaviors are complex traits that mediate interactions with the environment and, thus, are ideally suited for studies of GEI. Olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster presents an opportunity to systematically dissect GEI, since large numbers of genetically identical individuals can be reared under defined environmental conditions and the olfactory system of Drosophila and its behavioral response to odorants hav

SUBMITTER: Sambandan D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2429861 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature