Project description:The aim of the experiment is to identify genes that are contributing too variation in the intensity of reddish/brown colouration seen in feathers from a wild x domestic advanced intercross line of chickens. RNA was isolated from growing feathers with varying levels of reddish/brown colouration (eg. dark red, red, orange, yellow). The intensity of the colour was measured relative to a true red colour chart and expressed as percentage of the reference colour. A lower colour score indicates a darker red colour(~0,30) and a pure white gives a score of ~0,95. QTL regions for the peak and average colour score measured across the wing were obtained from a mapping population. An eQTL analysis was performed by using the gene expression levels from all genes located within the previously identified QTL confidence intervals. The gene expression values for the genes located within the confidence intervals are available in the data file.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of different clam tissues (hemolymph, extrapallial fluid and mantle) in response to brown ring disease; Brown ring disease (BRD) is a bacterial infection affecting the economically-important clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The disease is caused by a bacterium, Vibrio tapetis, that colonizes the edge of the mantle, altering the biomineralization process and normal shell growth. Altered organic shell matrices accumulate on the inner face of the shell leading to the formation of the typical brown ring in the extrapallial space (between the mantle and the shell). Even though structural and functional changes have been described in solid (mantle) and fluid (hemolymph and extrapallial fluids) tissues from infected clams, the underlying molecular alterations and responses remain largely unknown. This study was designed to gather information on clam molecular responses to the disease and to compare focal responses at the site of the infection (mantle and extrapallial fluid) with systemic (hemolymph) responses. To do so, we designed and produced a Manila clam expression oligoarray (15K Agilent) using transcriptomic data available in public databases and used this platform to comparatively assess transcriptomic changes in mantle, hemolymph and extrapallial fluid of infected clams. Results showed significant regulation in diseased clams of molecules involved in pathogen recognition (e.g. lectins, C1q domain-containing proteins) and killing (defensin), apoptosis regulation (death-associated protein, bcl-2) and in biomineralization (shell matrix proteins, perlucin, galaxin, chitin- and calcium-binding proteins). While most changes in response to the disease were tissue-specific, systemic alterations included co-regulation in all 3 tested tissues of molecules involved in microbe recognition and killing (complement-related factors, defensin). These results provide a first glance at molecular alterations and responses caused by BRD and identify targets for future functional investigations.
Project description:Epigenetic variation might play an important role in generating adaptive phenotypes by underpinning within-generation developmental plasticity, persistent maternal effects of the environment (e.g., trans-generational plasticity), or heritable epigenetically based polymorphism. These adaptive mechanisms should be most critical in organisms where sources of variation are limited. Consequently, using a clonally reproducing freshwater snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), we examined the plasticity of an adaptive phenotype (shell shape) and of DNA methylation between generations by experimentally manipulating the current-speed environment in the lab. By comparing three generations of lab-reared snails with reference field populations, we showed that habitat-specific adaptive shell shape is stable across one generation, and adaptively responds gradually over two subsequent generations. We also showed that DNA methylation specific to high-current environments was stable across one generation. Together these observations suggest that shell shape variation is at least in part determined by transgenerational plasticity and that DNA methylation provides a potential mechanism.
Project description:We examined adaptive morphological divergence and epigenetic variation in genetically impoverished asexual populations of a freshwater snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum from distinct environments. These populations exhibit environment-specific adaptive divergence in shell shape and significant genome wide DNA methylation differences among differentially adapted lake and fast water flow river populations. The epigenetic variation correlated with adaptive phenotypic variation in rapidly adapting asexual animal populations. This provides one of the first examples of environmentally-driven differences in epigenetics that associates with adaptive phenotypic divergence.
Project description:We examined adaptive morphological divergence and epigenetic variation in genetically impoverished asexual populations of a freshwater snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum from distinct environments. These populations exhibit environment-specific adaptive divergence in shell shape and significant genome wide DNA methylation differences among differentially adapted lake and fast water flow river populations. The epigenetic variation correlated with adaptive phenotypic variation in rapidly adapting asexual animal populations. This provides one of the first examples of environmentally-driven differences in epigenetics that associates with adaptive phenotypic divergence.