Pesticide resistance by transposition

Using a genomic screen for adaptive transpositions in Drosophila, we have identified an adaptive insertion of a transposable element into a conserved gene involved in choline metabolism. We called this gene CHKov1. The transposition truncates CHKov1 and generates a new functional protein in the process. We hypothesize and then demonstrate that the truncated allele of CHKov1 confers increased resistance to organophosphate pesticides and has spread in D. melanogaster recently and under the pressure of positive natural selection. The paper describing this research and authored by Yael Aminetzach, Mike Macpherson, and D.A. Petrov was just published by Science. Here is how Science describes this work. This paper was also evlauated on Faculty 1000: http://www.f1000biology.com/article/id/1027308/evaluation and was rated as a Must Read.