Project description:These experiments were designed to follow the seasonal changes in the transcriptome of field-grown leafy spurge crown buds. The goal was to identify specific signaling pathways and marker genes characteristic to the changes that occur when the buds transitioned from paradormancy through endodormancy and into ecodormancy. Keywords: Time course seasonal dormancy
Project description:Seasonal wood development results in two distinct wood types: earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW), which is the major cause of wood qaulity variation. We investigate transcriptome reorganization during seasonal wood development in radiata pine using a newly developed 18k cDNA microarrays.
Project description:To determine the developmental and seasonal variation in transcript expression within a terrestial sentinal, the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus.
Project description:Survey of relative gene expression profiles in larvae, pupae, and midguts and fatbodies of teneral, unfed, and fed adult mountain pine beetles from western Nevada, USA.
Project description:With the exception of latitudes close to the equator, seasonal variation in light hours can change dramatically between summer and winter. Yet, investigations into the interplay between energy metabolism and circadian rhythms typically use a 12 h light:12 h dark photoperiod corresponding to light duration at the equator. Here, we hypothesised that altering seasonal photoperiod affects both rhythmicity of peripheral tissue clocks as well as processes involved in energy storage and utilisation. Male mice were housed at one of three photoperiods representing light hours in summer, winter and the equinox. Mice housed at a winter photoperiod exhibited an increase in the amplitude of rhythmic lipid metabolism and a modest reduction in fat mass and liver triglyceride content. Comparing melatonin proficient and deficient mice, we provide evidence that the effect of seasonal light on energy metabolism is largely driven by differences in the rhythmicity of food intake, but not melatonin. Our results show that seasonal light impacts energy metabolism in mice and suggest that these effects are partly driven by modulating the timing of eating. Our work sets a course to integrate seasonal light duration in future circadian biology studies.