Gene expression variation underlying tissue-specific responses to copper stress in Drosophila melanogaster.

Copper is one of a handful of biologically necessary heavy metals that is also a common environmental pollutant. Under normal conditions, copper ions are required for many key physiological processes. However, in excess, copper results in cell and tissue damage ranging in severity from temporary injury to permanent neurological damage.

Gene expression variation underlying tissue-specific responses to copper stress in .

Copper is one of a handful of biologically necessary heavy metals that is also a common environmental pollutant. Under normal conditions, copper ions are required for many key physiological processes. However, in excess, copper quickly results in cell and tissue damage that can range in severity from temporary injury to permanent neurological damage.

The genetic basis of adaptation to copper pollution in .

Heavy metal pollutants can have long lasting negative impacts on ecosystem health and can shape the evolution of species. The persistent and ubiquitous nature of heavy metal pollution provides an opportunity to characterize the genetic mechanisms that contribute to metal resistance in natural populations. We examined variation in resistance to copper, a common heavy metal contaminant, using wild collections of the model organism .

Pre-adult exposure to three heavy metals leads to changes in the head transcriptome of adult flies.

We examined the effect of developmental exposure to three heavy metals - cadmium, copper, and lead - on gene expression in adult head tissue in the model organism . All metals affected development time and/or gene expression level. While variation in the response to each metal was apparent, two differentially-expressed genes were upregulated in response to all three metal treatments, and 11 genes were downregulated in two of the three treatments.

Characterizing the genetic basis of copper toxicity in Drosophila reveals a complex pattern of allelic, regulatory, and behavioral variation.

A range of heavy metals are required for normal cell function and homeostasis. However, the anthropogenic release of metal compounds into soil and water sources presents a pervasive health threat. Copper is one of many heavy metals that negatively impacts diverse organisms at a global scale.