Identification and expression of differentially expressed genes in the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, in response to quahog parasite unknown (QPX).

ABSTRACT:

Background

The hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, has been affected by severe mortality episodes associated with the protistan parasite QPX (Quahog Parasite Unknown) for several years. Despite the commercial importance of hard clams in the United States, molecular bases of defense mechanisms in M. mercenaria, especially during QPX infection, remain unknown.

Results

Our study used suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH), as well as the construction of cDNA libraries from hemocytes to identify genes related to the defense of the hard clam against its parasite. Hard clams were experimentally infected with QPX and SSH was performed on mRNA samples extracted from mantle and gill tissues at different times post-challenge. A total of 298 clones from SSH libraries and 1352 clones

SUBMITTER: Perrigault M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2752465 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature