Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Prolonged exposure to high temperatures may cause heat-related illnesses, such as cramps, syncope, exhaustion or even stroke in some individuals. Heat-related injuries remain a threat to the health and operational effectiveness of military personnel, athletes and the general public. Heat injury victims experience long-term complications that may include multi-system organ (liver, kidney, muscle) and neurologic damage, as well as reduced exercise capacity and heat intolerance. Findings from our laboratory using a developed heat stress model show that about 1/3 of mice are heat-intolerant and vulnerable to heat injury even though they are from the same mice litter. We examined if there is any genetic causation to this pattern of observation between the two groups of mice classified (Heat Intolerant and Heat Tolerant). We would like to screen Heat Tolerant and Heat Intolerant mice samples using microarray technology and examine their microRNA and mRNA for possible gene-specific differences between the two groups (6 mice per group). The results from this proposed animal research will help identify and select potential markers that can be used as a pre-screen to identify heat intolerance and assess heat injury recovery in humans.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility. Gene expression was measured in whole testis from males aged 62-86 days. Samples include 190 first generation lab-bred male offspring of wild-caught mice from the Mus musculus musculus - M. m. domesticus hybrid zone.
Project description:Prolonged exposure to high temperatures may cause heat-related illnesses, such as cramps, syncope, exhaustion or even stroke in some individuals. Heat-related injuries remain a threat to the health and operational effectiveness of military personnel, athletes and the general public. Heat injury victims experience long-term complications that may include multi-system organ (liver, kidney, muscle) and neurologic damage, as well as reduced exercise capacity and heat intolerance. Findings from our laboratory using a developed heat stress model show that about 1/3 of mice are heat-intolerant and vulnerable to heat injury even though they are from the same mice litter. We examined if there is any genetic causation to this pattern of observation between the two groups of mice classified (Heat Intolerant and Heat Tolerant). We would like to screen Heat Tolerant and Heat Intolerant mice samples using microarray technology and examine their microRNA and mRNA for possible gene-specific differences between the two groups (6 mice per group). The results from this proposed animal research will help identify and select potential markers that can be used as a pre-screen to identify heat intolerance and assess heat injury recovery in humans. Heat-induced physiological and biochemical changes were assessed to determine heat tolerance levels in mice. We performed mRNA and microRNA expression profiling on mouse gastrocnemius muscle tissue samples to determine novel biological pathways associated with heat tolerance.
Project description:Prolonged exposure to high temperatures may cause heat-related illnesses, such as cramps, syncope, exhaustion or even stroke in some individuals. Heat-related injuries remain a threat to the health and operational effectiveness of military personnel, athletes and the general public. Heat injury victims experience long-term complications that may include multi-system organ (liver, kidney, muscle) and neurologic damage, as well as reduced exercise capacity and heat intolerance. Findings from our laboratory using a developed heat stress model show that about 1/3 of mice are heat-intolerant and vulnerable to heat injury even though they are from the same mice litter. We examined if there is any genetic causation to this pattern of observation between the two groups of mice classified (Heat Intolerant and Heat Tolerant). We would like to screen Heat Tolerant and Heat Intolerant mice samples using microarray technology and examine their microRNA and mRNA for possible gene-specific differences between the two groups (6 mice per group). The results from this proposed animal research will help identify and select potential markers that can be used as a pre-screen to identify heat intolerance and assess heat injury recovery in humans. Heat-induced physiological and biochemical changes were assessed to determine heat tolerance levels in mice. We performed mRNA and microRNA expression profiling on mouse gastrocnemius muscle tissue samples to determine novel biological pathways associated with heat tolerance.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:To investigate the differences in microRNA expression profiles between fibrotic and normal livers, we performed microRNA microarrays for total RNA extracts isolated from mouse livers treated with carbontetrachloride (CCl4) or corn-oil for 10 weeks (n=3/group). MicroRNAs were considered to have significant differences in expression level when the expression difference showed more than two-fold change between the experimental and control groups at p<0.05. We found that 12 miRNAs were differentially expressed in CCl4-induced fibrotic liver.