Project description:The largest of the tuna species, Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), inhabits the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be an endangered species, largely through overfishing. Thus, the development of aquaculture practices independent of wild resources can provide an important contribution towards ensuring security and sustainability of this species in the longer-term. In order to provide a resource for ongoing studies, we have used 454 pyrosequencing technology to sequence a mixed-tissue normalized cDNA library, derived from adult individuals. Transcript sequences were used to develop a novel 15K Agilent oligo microarray for T. thynnus and comparative tissue gene expression profiles were inferred for gill, heart, liver, ovaries and testes.
Project description:This study aimed to investigate the venom sac extracts (VSE) of the European hornet (EH) Vespa crabro (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), focusing on the differences between stinging females, gynes (G) and workers (W), at the protein level. Using a quantitative “Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra” (SWATH-MS) analysis, we identified and quantified a total of 240 proteins. Notably, within the group, 45.8 % (n = 110) showed significant differential expression between VSE-G and VSE-W. In this set, 57.3 % (n = 63) were upregulated and 42.7 % (n = 47) downregulated in the G. Additionally, the 200 quantified proteins from the class Insecta belong to 16 different species, six of them to he Hymenoptera/Apidae lineage, comprising seven proteins with known potential as allergens. Phospholipase A1 (Vesp v 1), phospholipase A1 verutoxin 2b (VT-2b), hyaluronidase A (Vesp v 2A), hyaluronidase B (Vesp v 2B), and venom allergen 5 (Vesp v 5) were significantly downregulated in the G, and vitellogenin (Ves v 6) was upregulated. Overall, 46 % of the VSE proteins showed differential expression, with a majority being upregulated in G. These findings shed light on the proteomic differences in VSE between EH castes, potentially contributing to our understanding of their behavior and offering insights for allergy research.
Project description:Identification of proteins from the secretory/excretory products (SEPs) of the branchiuran ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) reveals unique secreted proteins amongst haematophagous ecdysozoa
Project description:The European clam, Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a bivalve mollusc of the family Veneridae native to the European Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal waters. Its production is exclusively based on natural recruitment, which is subject to high annual fluctuations due to adversely affected by pollution and other environmental factors. Microarray analyses have been performed in four gonadal maturation stages of two higly productive Portuguese wild populations (Ria Formosa in South and Ria de Aveiro in North) characterized by different responses to spawning induction.
Project description:This study has established a successful protocol to cryopreserve lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus (Linnaeus, 1758) milt. Three cryosolutions were tested based on Mounib's medium; the original medium including reduced l-glutathione (GSH), the basic sucrose and potassium bicarbonate medium without GSH, or with hen's egg yolk (EY). Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was used as the cryoprotectant along with all three diluents in a 1-2 dilution. Cryopreservation was performed with the mentioned cryosolutions at two freezing rates. Motility percentages of spermatozoa were evaluated using ImageJ with a computer assisted sperm analyzer (CASA) plug-in. Findings revealed that spermatozoa cryopreserved in Mounib's medium without GSH had a post-thaw motility score of 6.4 percentage points (pp) higher than those in the original Mounib's medium, and an addition of EY to the modified Mounib's medium lowered the post-thaw motility score by 19.3 pp. The difference in motility between both freezing rates was 13.0 pp, and samples cryopreserved on a 4.8 cm high tray resulted in a better post-thaw motility score. On average, cryopreserved milt had a 24.1 pp lower post-thaw motility score than fresh milt. There was no significant difference in fertilisation success between cryopreserved and fresh milt. Cryopreservation of lumpfish milt has, to our knowledge, never been successfully carried out before. The established protocol will be a main contributing factor in a stable production of lumpfish juveniles in future.