Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

7.9K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
7.9K
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

45.6K
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
45.6K
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

65.0K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
65.0K
Gene-Environment Interactions01:20

Gene-Environment Interactions

1.3K
Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
1.3K
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

7.2K
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
7.2K
Competition02:34

Competition

25.2K
When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.
25.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Clinical Evaluation of a Real-Time Wearable System for Monitoring In-Hospital Ambulatory Patients With COVID-19: Retrospective Data Study.

JMIR medical informatics·2026
Same author

Evolutionary Dynamics of Gene Expression During Thermal Adaptation in Drosophila subobscura.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

On testing the tolerance-plasticity trade-off hypothesis as the change of thermal tolerance across two environments.

Journal of thermal biology·2025
Same author

From Bayes to Darwin: Evolutionary search as an exaptation from sampling-based Bayesian inference.

Journal of theoretical biology·2024
Same author

Evolution and Plasticity of Gene Expression Under Progressive Warming in Drosophila subobscura.

Molecular ecology·2024
Same author

Body size decline during thermal evolution is only detected at mild temperature.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
08:13

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: July 17, 2017

9.6K

COMPETITION AND GENOTYPE-BY-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION IN NATURAL BREEDING SUBSTRATES OF DROSOPHILA.

Mauro Santos1, Karel T Eisses, Antonio Fontdevila1

  • 1Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Spain.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|June 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Genotype-by-environment interactions in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) support the persistence of genetic variation. Field experiments reveal conditions favoring protected polymorphisms, maintaining genetic diversity in natural populations.

Keywords:
AdhDrosophila melanogasterLevene's modeldensity-dependent mortalitygenotype-by-environment interactioninversionsnatural populationprotected polymorphismαGpdh

More Related Videos

Measuring and Altering Mating Drive in Male Drosophila melanogaster
07:02

Measuring and Altering Mating Drive in Male Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: February 15, 2017

11.8K
Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

15.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
08:13

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: July 17, 2017

9.6K
Measuring and Altering Mating Drive in Male Drosophila melanogaster
07:02

Measuring and Altering Mating Drive in Male Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: February 15, 2017

11.8K
Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

15.1K

Area of Science:

  • Population Genetics
  • Ecological Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Genotype-by-environment (G x E) interactions are hypothesized to maintain genetic variation.
  • Few empirical studies validate conditions for protected polymorphisms, where alleles persist even when rare.
  • Drosophila populations in patchy environments may exhibit Levene's migration pattern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally test conditions for protected polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • To link Drosophila ecology with population genetics using specific polymorphic loci.
  • To investigate G x E interactions and their role in maintaining genetic diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Field experiment using Drosophila melanogaster raised on Opuntia ficus-indica fruits.
  • Analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) and α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (αGpdh) polymorphic loci.
  • Assessment of density-dependent mortality and differential genotype viability.
  • Fitness estimation weighted by fruit contribution to adult population.

Main Results:

  • Density-dependent mortality (soft selection) observed in high-larvae-density fruits.
  • Suggestive evidence for differential viability among αGpdh genotypes.
  • Observed G x E interaction pattern consistent with protected polymorphism requirements.
  • Strong association between AdhS and αGpdhF alleles, potentially linked to inversion In(2L)t.

Conclusions:

  • Empirical support for G x E interactions maintaining genetic variation in Drosophila.
  • Findings align with theoretical conditions for protected polymorphisms in heterogeneous environments.
  • The inversion In(2L)t may drive negative frequency-dependent selection, preserving genetic diversity.