English version

 

Department of genetics of populations and ecogenotoxicology is the unit within Institute of Biological Research „Siniša Stanković“, University of Belgrade, developed from the Department of Genetics, one of two Departments at the time of foundation of Institute of Biology in year 1947.


The main research focus of Department of genetics of populations and ecogenotoxicology are genetic phenomena related to dynamic of gene pool of populations and adaptive processes. Research is perofrmed with different species of genus Drosophila which represents extremely convenient and widely accepted model-system for population-genetic studies.

 

Presently, research is done in three directions:

 

- Spatial and temporal dynamic of inversion polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura and its adaptive significance;

- Population-genetic and ecological-genetic studies of Amy-locus polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura;

- influence of genomic and environmental stress on genetic and phenotypic variability and developmental homeostasis in natural and laboratory Drosophila populations;

- Ecogenotoxicology and genotoxicology studies on Drosophila species

 

Spatial and temporal dynamic of inversion polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura and its adaptive significance

 

Polytene chromosomes of Drosophila and other Diptera enable, precise cytogenetic analysis of structural chromosomal aberations. Analysis of inversion polymorphism of Drosophila is aimed to reveal inter- and intrapopulation variability of this type of polymorphism, and particularly the existence of coadaptive gene systems within the inversions and inversion complexes. Studies of inversion polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura are developed toward better understanding of the adaptive role of this kind of genetic polymorphism especially in different aspects of anthropogenic effects on ecosystems.

 

Population-genetic and ecological-genetic studies of Amy-locus polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura

 

Alozyme polymorphism of Amy-locus and the variability of specific α-amylase activity in D.subobscura is a model system for studying the adaptive significance of gene – enzyme polymorphism. The study is focused to reveal the range and direction of the gene variability and the associated biochemical phenotypic variability, as a function of fitness components of certain genotypes with varying extent and dynamics substrate starch concetration change.

 

Developmental stability and fluctuating asymmetry

 

Contemporary studies of developmental processes contribute to better understanding of genotype-environmental interactions in the formation of phenotype. One aspect of the research is monitoring of change in developmental homeostasis under stress.

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral symmetrical traits (like as wing size and shape, number of sternopleural bristles, number of tines on male sexual combs, etc.) is used as indicator for evaluation of disturbance in developmental stability at molecular, chromosomal and epigenetic level which can influence the variability in FA indeces. This approach is used for studying the effects of stress under environmental factors (low frequency electromagnetic field, permanent magnetic field, different lead concentrations) and genomic stress (inbreeding, outbreeding and interspecies hybridization).

 

Applied research - Genotoxic and antigenotoxic tests on Drosophila

 

As the presence of different agents in living and operating environments and their influence on individuals and on gene pool of populations has become one of the most important environmental problems, the needs for ecogenotoxicology and genotoxicology studies increased.

 

The aim of these studies is to ascertain the potency of environmental agents to cause damage and/or permanent changes on genetic material of an organism, primarily human. In our Department, genotoxicological testing is done by means of two stabdardized tests. One detects sex linked recessive lethals in Drosophila melanogaster (SLRL) and other detects somatic mutations and recombinations in Drosophila melanogaster (SMART) Beside detecting genotoxic and/or cancerogenic effects of various substances, these tests enable detecting of antimutagenic and anticancerogenic activity of particular agents.