Project description:Within any population, some individuals perform better than others. These individuals may survive longer or produce more offspring. In this project we investigate the physiology, behavior, and genetics of female Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. This dataset includes a proteomic comparison of milk and serum in mom-pup pairs across the timecourse of lactation. We also investigate differences between female Weddell seals with a history of frequently producing pups, versus females that have produced pups only infrequently.
Project description:Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonine) are marine mammals with extreme diving profiles (300m to 1000m deep for 20 to 30 min). These apnea dives raise the question of muscular adaptations to hypoxia, as the muscles are particularly solicited during these dives. Moreover, exposure to hypoxia followed by reperfusion generally leads to the production of reactive oxygen species with deleterious effects on cells. The oxidative stress response can therefore be triggered in muscle cells during diving, as well as key changes related to cellular energetics. Finally, exposure to hypoxia may differ between juveniles and adults. To answer these questions, we analyzed the muscle proteome of juvenile and adult elephant seals, with the ultimate aim of linking differences with possible differences in antioxidant balance and mitochondrial function.
Project description:LV hypertrophy is associated with Western diet consumption, while intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is associated with anti-hypertrophic effects. We treated rats for 12 weeks with either a Control diet, a Western diet or a Western + DHA diet. For each of the 3 dietary treatments there were 2 pooled samples of heart tissue (with each pooled sample representing 5 rats) for a total of 6 arrays. Microarray analysis identified 66 differentially expressed transcripts. Pathways were identified using Ingenuity and DAVID software. Array results from two pooled samples (5 rats in each pool) for n=10 per treatment group were used for comparisons. Comparisons between Western vs. Control, Western + DHA vs. Control and Western + DHA vs. Western diets was subjected to analysis to generate log fold changes. A dietary treatment of 12 weeks was used in an effort to produce LVH while limiting the development of comorbidities. Microarray analysis was performed on pooled samples, followed by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Groups were Control, Western and Western + DHA. Comparisons between groups are expressed as LogFC (i.e. LogFC_WESvCTRL, LogFC_DHAVCTRL, LogFC_DHAvWES), available in Series supplementary files.
