Modifiers of the Genotype-Phenotype Map: Hsp90 and Beyond

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Heritable phenotypic variation is crucial for evolution and disease.
• The chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) influences this variation.
• Hsp90 perturbation affects numerous genetic variants across the genome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize foundational research on Hsp90's role in phenotypic variation.
• To present a framework for interpreting Hsp90 research using epistasis.
• To identify key future research questions in this field.

Main Methods:

• Review of foundational studies on Hsp90.
• Conceptual framework development based on epistasis.
• Identification of knowledge gaps and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Hsp90 perturbation significantly modifies the effects of genetic variants.
• These modifications alter the genotype-phenotype map.
• A net increase or decrease in heritable phenotypic variation is often observed.

Conclusions:

• Hsp90 plays a critical role in modulating heritable phenotypic variation.
• Understanding Hsp90's function is key to deciphering genotype-phenotype relationships.
• Future research should focus on the genetic and evolutionary implications of Hsp90's regulatory role.