Project description:The aim for this study was to compare the differences in the methylome of 2 Russian wheat aphid biotypes that are genealogically linked, but at opposite ends of the virulence scale. We studied genic as well as intergenic methylation in all three available contexts in the Bismark pipeline, CpG, CHG and CHH. We were also interested to see how methylation patterns in the Russian wheat aphid compares to that of other investigated insects. Specifically the ratio of genic to intergenic methylation and to what extent contexts other than CpG are methylated. Grant number: CPR20110615000019459 Funding body: National Science Foundation ZA Grantholders name: Anna-Maria Botha-Oberholster
Project description:The aim for this study was to compare the differences in the methylome of three Russian wheat aphid populations that differ in virulence and bacterial load. Differences in the methylome of US Russian wheat aphid biotype 2 (US-RWA2) that have undergone removal of their phytobiomes through isolation of newly born nymphs from their mothers compared to nymphs who stayed in close proximity to their progenitors. US-RWA1 is the least virulent biotype and US-RWA2 is the most virulent biotype. The isolated US-RWA2 population (with a reduced bacterial load) has been shown to be less virulent than the co-fed population (Luna et al., 2018). The corresponding two methylomes were then compared to the methylome of US Russian wheat aphid biotype 1 (US-RWA1 is less virulent than US-RWA2) to ascertain the contribution (or lack thereof) of the phytobiome in regards to the increased/decreased virulence of phytobiome present and absent aphids. We investigated the overall, genic, intergenic, exonic and intronic methylation - as well as genic and intergenic hemimethylation -all three available contexts ( CpG, CHG and CHH) through use of the Bismark pipeline. These findings were used to ascertain to what effect the phytobiome (bacterial load) had on methylation within the US Russian wheat aphid biotypes.
Project description:A deletion mutation in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene results in the inhibition of skeletal muscle growth and fat deposition in dwarf chickens. In this study, microarray techniques were used to detect the miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of 14-day-old embryo and 7-week-old chicken skeletal muscle of deletion-type dwarf chickens and normal-type chickens. Skeletal muscle tissues of Dwarf recessive White Rock chickens and normal recessive White Rock chickens were used to make the microarray assay. Results show the expression of miR-1623 and miR-181b in 14-day-old embryos and of let-7b and miR-128 in 7-week-old chickens. let-7b was the only miRNA found to be completely complementary to its target in the 3'UTR of GHR and inhibited GHR gene expression. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis and RT-PCR verified that there were three main signalling pathways regulating the skeletal muscle growth and fat deposition of chickens influenced by the let-7b-regulated GHR gene. The suppression of the cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) gene was found to be involved in the signalling pathway of adipocytokines. We found that let-7b is the critical miRNA involved in the regulation of the GHR gene. SOCS3 plays a critical role in the network regulating skeletal muscle growth and fat deposition via let-7b-mediated GHR gene expression.
Project description:We bed ALV-J-susceptible and ALV-J-resistant chickens. In this work, we find the different gene expression between ALV-J-susceptible and ALV-J-resistant chickens