Project description:Pristionchus pacificus has emerged as a valuable model system for comparative and evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) studies alongside the classic model nematode C. elegans. Previous studies have identified a lack of conservation of genetic networks underlying conserved traits, referred to as developmental systems drift. However, the conservation – or lack thereof – of epigenetic pathways which regulate development have not been investigated. In the manuscript associated with this study, we present an “epigenetic toolkit” for P. pacificus and C. elegans to compare and contrast epigenetic pathways. Assembly of this toolkit was done by identifying orthologous genes, including the “writers” and “erasers” of histone modifications. To complement this evolutionary approach, here we produce a data set of the suite of histone modifications present in P. pacificus.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of C. elegans young adult worms exposed to pathogen Serratia marcescens for 4 hours versus age-matched worms exposed to control lab food E. coli OP50. The goal was to identify genes regulated in response to pathogen. The broader goal of study was to study evolution of pathogen response by comparing this expression profile to that obtained by exposing the nematode Pristionchus pacificus to the same pathogen. Other experiments which are a part of this study include expression profiling of C. elegans and P. pacificus on other pathogens including Bacillus thuringiensis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Xenorhabdus nematophila.
