Variation in expression of duplicated insulin-like receptor genes in Daphnia pulex
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom A
Start Date
16-5-2013
End Date
16-5-2013
Abstract
Publication of the Daphnia pulex genome in 2011 identified D. pulex as the arthropod with the highest homology to humans at the genetic level. This conservation of genes opens up the possibility of using D. pulex as a model organism for biomedical research. For example, D. pulex possesses at least 15 genes with high homology to human genes involved in the insulin signalling pathway (ISP). In addition, both Daphnia and vertebrate lineages have experienced duplication of insulin-like receptor genes in their evolutionary history. In this study, we assessed patterns of expression of the insulin-like receptors under calorie restricted conditions in five natural populations of D. pulex in Kittitas county. Eight clonal lines from each population were cultured in laboratory conditions under two treatments: fed ad libitum and calorie restricted. Expression levels of the four insulin-like receptor genes and three additional genes in the ISP were measured using quantitative PCR. Calorie restriction had a significant effect on expression levels of all genes, but the magnitude and direction of effects differed between populations. In addition, the direction of effect differed between different insulin-like receptors, suggesting neofunctionalization of at least one copy of this gene. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show variation in direction of expression between duplicated insulin-like receptor genes in D. pulex. It is also the first to show population-level variation in expression of genes in the ISP in Daphnia. Future research will include the effect of other environmental factors on expression of these genes.
Recommended Citation
Wooller, Ian, "Variation in expression of duplicated insulin-like receptor genes in Daphnia pulex" (2013). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 30.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2013/creativeexpression/30
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Additional Mentoring Department
Anthropology
Variation in expression of duplicated insulin-like receptor genes in Daphnia pulex
SURC Ballroom A
Publication of the Daphnia pulex genome in 2011 identified D. pulex as the arthropod with the highest homology to humans at the genetic level. This conservation of genes opens up the possibility of using D. pulex as a model organism for biomedical research. For example, D. pulex possesses at least 15 genes with high homology to human genes involved in the insulin signalling pathway (ISP). In addition, both Daphnia and vertebrate lineages have experienced duplication of insulin-like receptor genes in their evolutionary history. In this study, we assessed patterns of expression of the insulin-like receptors under calorie restricted conditions in five natural populations of D. pulex in Kittitas county. Eight clonal lines from each population were cultured in laboratory conditions under two treatments: fed ad libitum and calorie restricted. Expression levels of the four insulin-like receptor genes and three additional genes in the ISP were measured using quantitative PCR. Calorie restriction had a significant effect on expression levels of all genes, but the magnitude and direction of effects differed between populations. In addition, the direction of effect differed between different insulin-like receptors, suggesting neofunctionalization of at least one copy of this gene. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show variation in direction of expression between duplicated insulin-like receptor genes in D. pulex. It is also the first to show population-level variation in expression of genes in the ISP in Daphnia. Future research will include the effect of other environmental factors on expression of these genes.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Alison Scoville, Joseph Lorenz