Project description:To quantify gene expression differences in olfactory epithelium between the mouse (Mus musculus) and the Nile rat (Arvicanthis niloticus), paired-end RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to profile olfactory epithelium transcriptomes of six Nile rats and six mice (C57BL/6J) (one male and one female at the age of 8, 12, and 16 weeks for each species).
Project description:Microarray analysis on livers of young (three weeks old) Nile rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) fed with either a high carbohydrate diet only (percentage energy from carbohydrate:fat:protein = 70:10:20, 16.7 kJ/g) or a high carbohydrate diet supplemented with palm fruit juice (PFJ) (415 ml of 13000 ppm gallic acid equivalent (GAE) for a final concentration of 5.4 g GAE per kg diet or 2.7 g per 2000 kcal) PFJ (415 ml of 13000 ppm gallic acid equivalent (GAE) for a final concentration of 5.4 g GAE per kg diet or 2.7 g per 2000 kcal) was supplemented to young Nile rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) given a high carbohydrate diet (percentage energy from carbohydrate:fat:protein = 70:10:20, 16.7 kJ/g) to observe for possible anti-diabetic effects. Livers were harvested four weeks after the feeding regimen for gene expression studies. Results from the microarray data analysis carried out show that rats given PFJ had down-regulated insulin signalling, consistent with anti-diabetic effects observed in vivo. Total RNA obtained from livers of young Nile rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) given PFJ in a high carbohydrate diet (four weeks after the feeding regimen) were compared to controls (three replicates in the treatment group versus four replicates in the control group)
Project description:Microarray analysis on livers of young (three weeks old) Nile rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) fed with either a high carbohydrate diet only (percentage energy from carbohydrate:fat:protein = 70:10:20, 16.7 kJ/g) or a high carbohydrate diet supplemented with palm fruit juice (PFJ) (415 ml of 13000 ppm gallic acid equivalent (GAE) for a final concentration of 5.4 g GAE per kg diet or 2.7 g per 2000 kcal) PFJ (415 ml of 13000 ppm gallic acid equivalent (GAE) for a final concentration of 5.4 g GAE per kg diet or 2.7 g per 2000 kcal) was supplemented to young Nile rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) given a high carbohydrate diet (percentage energy from carbohydrate:fat:protein = 70:10:20, 16.7 kJ/g) to observe for possible anti-diabetic effects. Livers were harvested four weeks after the feeding regimen for gene expression studies. Results from the microarray data analysis carried out show that rats given PFJ had down-regulated insulin signalling, consistent with anti-diabetic effects observed in vivo.
Project description:Evolutionary alterations to cis-regulatory sequences are likely to cause adaptive phenotypic complexity, through orchestrating changes in cellular proliferation, identity and communication. For non-model organisms with adaptive key-innovations, patterns of regulatory evolution have been predominantly limited to targeted sequence-based analyses. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) is a technology that has only been used in genetic model systems and is a powerful experimental tool to screen for active cis-regulatory elements. Here, we show that it can also be used in ecological model systems and permits genome-wide functional exploration of cis-regulatory elements. As a proof of concept, we use ChIP-seq technology in adult fin tissue of the cichlid fish Oreochromis niloticus to map active promoter elements, as indicated by occupancy of trimethylated Histone H3 Lysine 4 (H3K4me3). The fact that cichlids are one of the most phenotypically diverse and species-rich families of vertebrates could make them a perfect model system for the further in-depth analysis of the evolution of transcriptional regulation. examination of H3K4me3 in adult fin tissue of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Project description:The elucidation of microRNA function and evolution depends on the identification and characterization of miRNA repertoire of strategic organisms, as the fast evolving cichlid fishes. Using RNA-seq and comparative genomics we carried out an in-depth report of miRNAs in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Our results enlarge vertebrate miRNAs collection and reveal a notable differential expression of miRNAs arms and isoforms influenced by sex and developmental life stage, providing a better picture of the evolutionary and spatiotemporal dynamics of miRNAs.
