The Zhao lab will test the hypothesis that certain genomic regions that can encode a long stretch of hydrophobic amino acids are hotspots for immune-related micropeptides. The lab will investigate whether immune-related micropeptides with similar functions occur independently in distant lineages as well as explore the potential of genomes to generate novel immune-related micropeptides. At the completion of this project, they will create an atlas that maps the birth and function of de novo immune-related micropeptides. This will enable scientists to investigate the enormous influence and potential of these micropeptides in preventing the emergence of infectious diseases.
Recent evidence suggests new genes can emerge from ancestrally noncoding sequences. These de novo genes acquire functions and, if they provide a selective advantage, spread within a population until they become fixed. Zhao studies the origin and evolution of de novo genes, as well as their contribution to adaptive evolution, in both flies and humans.
