Project description:Factorial Microarray Analysis of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Adhesion Process under the Impact of Multiple Environmental Factors The expression profiles of the zebra mussel byssus unique genes in our cDNA microarray can be influenced by multiple factors. Three environmental factors plus adhesion status were considered as four main factors in this study.
Project description:Factorial Microarray Analysis of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Adhesion Process under the Impact of Multiple Environmental Factors The expression profiles of the zebra mussel byssus unique genes in our cDNA microarray can be influenced by multiple factors. Three environmental factors plus adhesion status were considered as four main factors in this study. Two different levels in each factor were created, therefore, a 2x2x2x2 factorial experimental design was made by sixteen treatment groups with four biological replicates in each group. There were 32 dual-channel microarray slides included in this study and the effects of main factors on gene expression profiles as well as the two-way, three-way, and four-way interactions of the main factors were analyzed. Factors: temperature, water agitation, oxygen level, and adhesion status
Project description:A zebra mussel byssus cDNA microarray was used to identify the differentially expressed genes between attachment and detachment. Keywords: Gene differential expression
Project description:Differential tolerance to stress is partly responsible for the heterogeneity of biomarker responses between populations of a sentinel species. Although currently used for freshwater biomonitoring, studies concerning inter-populational variability in tolerance to contaminants for the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) are scarce. Moreover, this well-known invader is currently replaced by another, the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). To evaluate the differential tolerance between dreissenids, several populations of both species were exposed to a high concentration of nickel. A LT50 (time when 50% of individuals were dead) was established for each population. Biomarker responses and internal nickel concentration were also measured, to link tolerance with physiological status. Results evidenced that D. polymorpha populations are more heterogeneous and more tolerant than D. r. bugensis ones. For D. polymorpha populations only, LT50 values were positively correlated with the nickel contamination in situ, with higher anti-oxidative defences and a higher Integrated Biomarker Response value in the field. Such findings may be explained by local adaptation and invasion dynamic within each species. The significance of this differential tolerance when using biomarker responses for biomonitoring purposes is thus discussed.
