Queitsch, ChristineLachowiec, Jennifer Anna2014-10-132015-12-142014-10-132014Lachowiec_washington_0250E_13725.pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/1773/26176Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2014Phenotypes are buffered from both genetic perturbations and developmental noise; however, the mechanisms by which this buffering occurs and its evolutionary relevance are poorly understood. In this dissertation, a combination of genetic and computational approaches were undertaken to not only identify genetic loci that are buffered from phenotypes but also map genes that provide phenotypic buffering. For example, I found that substrates of Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), the best-understood source of buffering, tend to accumulate genetic changes in a manner that affects evolution. Hsp90 is also a proven buffer of developmental noise, so the mechanism by which this ability arises was explored. To expand the number of known developmental noise buffers, innovative methods for genome-wide association were used to map novel regulators. The ability to identify loci that are buffered and provide buffering indicates that the distribution of phenotypes across a population arises through complex interactions between genetic loci, including genes that act as buffers.application/pdfen-USCopyright is held by the individual authors.buffering; developmental noise; evolution; genetic variation; robustnessEvolution & developmentMolecular biologyGeneticsmolecular and cellular biologyThesis