Project description:Physical forces greatly influence the growth and function of an organism. Altered gravity can perturb normal development and induce corresponding changes in gene expression. Understanding this relationship between the physical and biological realms is important for NASA’s space travel goals. We use combined RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR to profile changes in early Drosophila melanogaster pupae exposed to chronic hypergravity (3 g, three times Earth’s gravity) to highlight gravity-dependent pathways and gene products. Robust transcriptional response was evident among the pupae developed in a hypergravity environment compared to control. 1,513 genes showed significantly (p < 0.05) altered gene expression in the 3 g samples. These findings were supported with qRT-PCR data. Major biological processes affected include ion transport, redox homeostasis, immune and humoral stress response, proteolysis, and cuticle development.
Project description:MicroRNAs detected in Drosophila melanogaster unfertilized eggs Bloomington w[1118] flies were kept at 25ºC on cornmeal based media, with 12 hours light/dark cycles. Virgin females were sorted at the pupae stage to avoid any unwanted fertilization. In a population cage I let 80-100 females to lay eggs in apple juice agar plates for 8 hours, collecting 1 hour after dawn. Eggs were collected with a sieve and washed with saline solution. Small RNA was size selected and sequenced.
Project description:Thermal acclimation study on Drosophila melanogaster reared at 3 different temperatures (12, 25, and 31oC). The proteomic profiles of D. melanogaster under these different temperatures were analyzed and compared using label-free tandem mass spectrometry.
