Project description:Deep sequencing of mRNA from the rock pigeon Analysis of ploy(A)+ RNA of different specimens: heart and liver from the rock pigeon (Danish Tumbler, Oriental Frill and Racing)
Project description:We sought to evaluate the brain gene expression profiles of male courtship display. To assess male display and courtship behavior, we designed a courtship preference assay. We evaluated social interactions between males and females using a 40 gallon tank design with a ‘rock’ habitat at one end and ‘sand’ at the other, separated by glass bottom. When parental rock species (Petrotilapia nigra (TaxId 526958), Maylandia zebra (TaxId 106582), Labeotropheus feulliborni) are placed in this tank paradigm, males court females over the rocks. Males of sand species (Mchenga conophorus, Aulonocara baenschi (TaxId 143496), Tramitichromis intermedius (TaxId 323801)) court females over sand and construct species appropriate bowers. When single rock x sand F1 males were placed in this set up with F1 females, males invariably courted females over the ‘rock’ habitat, suggesting genetic dominance. When two rock x sand F1 males were allowed to compete for F1 females in this tank paradigm, something interesting happened. One male, typically the larger, courted females over the rock habitat, and the other simultaneously constructed bowers to court females in the sand. We detected no difference in GSI (gonadal somatic index) between F1 males behaving as ‘socially rock’ vs. ‘socially sand.’ This observation of divergent behavior among interacting F1 brothers suggests an interaction between the genome and the social environment in these males.
Project description:Cen3tel cells, obtained by telomerase immortalization of human fibroblasts, gradually underwent neoplastic transformation and became metastatic in immunocompromised mice. Neoplastic transformation was associated with a change in cell morphology (from fibroblastic to polygonal). Tumorigenic cells acquired a clear-cut membrane localization of adhesion molecules, a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, increased cell motility and invasiveness. In a 3-dimensional environment, tumorigenic cells showed a spherical morphology with cortical actin rings, suggesting a switch from a mesenchymal to an amoeboid ROCK-dependent movement. Accordingly, cell invasion decreased upon treatment with the ROCK inhibitor Y27632, but not with the matrix protease inhibitor Ro28-2653. The increased invasiveness of tumorigenic cen3tel cells was associated with a reduced expression of RhoE, a cellular inhibitor of ROCK. Ectopic RhoE expression decreased cen3tel invasion capability. These results point to RhoE and ROCK as regulators of invasiveness of mesenchymal tumor cells and indicate ROCK as a possible therapeutic target.
