Exploring the expression of CG18269 under Zelda's regulation in early embryonic development of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

As a master regulatory protein, Zelda (Zld) plays a significant role in gene expression of Drosophilas embryonic development. It targets both genes, including sna, that are studied in previous researches, and genes that even their molecular function is still unknown, such as CG18269. Through examining both qualitative and quantitative data in this research, the absence of Zelda has proved to significantly down regulate the genes expression. The gene is also observed to have multiple Zelda-binding sites, which may or may not have correlation with its neighboring genes. Future experiments, such as CRISPR-Cas9, may be conducted to further decipher the gene.