Dr. Thomas Williams of the Biology Department along with graduate and undergraduate students in his lab recently published “The influence of Polycomb and Trithorax group function on the sexually dimorphic abdomen pigmentation of Drosophila melanogaster ” in the journal G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics.

Animal traits are made by large collaborations of genes that comprise what are referred to as Gene Regulatory Networks or GRNs. While genes encoding transcription factors and their target genes are fundamental GRN components, their expression occurs in dynamic chromatin environments that package genetic information in nucleus of cells. Our group screened by RNA-interference 41 genes that encode a Polycomb Group (PcG) or Trithorax Group (TrxG) chromatin modification/remodeling protein. Eight had dramatic effects on Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly pigmentation and their influence was mapped to GRN transcription factors and pigmentation genes. Similarities and differences were found between PcG and TrxG function during larval- and pupal developmental stages. Drosophila pigmentation is a leading model trait to understand the processes by which traits are made and evolve. The findings from this study open future research avenues to better understand how chromatin shapes these processes. The work was led by co-first authors Devon Seibert (Biology, PhD student) and Ashley Williams (Biology, undergraduate)

Devon M Seibert, Ashley V Williams, Madeline A Ranly, Melissa E Williams, Claire C Konys, Michael L Weinstein, Jenna R Rock, Rachel M Stanojev, Corinne R Stone, Emily B Daniel, Eliana G Williams, Mark Rebeiz, Thomas M Williams, The influence of Polycomb and Trithorax group function on the sexually dimorphic abdomen pigmentation of Drosophila melanogaster, G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 2026;, jkag218, https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkag218