Project description:We sampled skin and blubber from 6 fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) individuals living in the northern Mediterranean Sea. Blubber was analyzed for Organochlorines levels while genomic DNA extracted from the skin of the animals with the lowest (mean value = 19 µg/g lipid basis, l.b.) (group 1, n=3) and the highest (mean value = 53 µg/g l.b.) (group 2, n=3) levels of contaminants were used for DNAm profiling through reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS).
Project description:Genome-wide microarray analysis of the effects of swim-training on caudal fin development in zebrafish larvae. Zebrafish were subjected to swim-training from 5 days post fertilization (dpf) until 10 dpf. Subsequently, we performed a genome-wide microarray analysis on the caudal fins of control and trained fish at 10 dpf. The goal of the project was to investigate the effects of swim-training on the gene expression level during caudal fin development in zebrafish larvae.
Project description:This series includes 3 microarrays used to detect SWCoV1, a novel group III coronavirus in Delphinapterus leucas (Beluga whale) liver. The series includes 2 control whale livers and 1 whale liver containing SWCoV1.
Project description:The little skate, a cartilaginous fish evolutionarily distal from tetrapods, displays walking-like behavior and has conserved genetic programs and neuronal substrates for land-walking. Studies on little skate have been limited due to lack of high-quality genome assembly. Here, we generated an improved genome assembly of little skate reflecting precise gene annotation and structures and performed integrated analysis of gene expression and chromatin accessibility to investigate molecular mechanisms of fin motor neuron development. Through interspecies comparison of RNA expression, common and species-specific genes expressed in fin/limb/wing level motor neurons were identified. Moreover, by performing chromatin accessibility analysis with a pure fin motor neuron population the potential regulators controlling the gene expression in fin motor neurons were identified. Interspecies comparison of genomic data, gene expression, and chromatin accessibility assay suggest that the little skate has highly conserved gene regulatory mechanisms controlling tetrapod locomotion, which was not previously expected.
Project description:Comparative studies of vertebrate appendages offer a powerful framework for uncovering shared components of an ancestral regeneration toolkit. Here, we employed a multi-omics comparative approach leveraging the regenerative capacity of the axolotl, zebrafish, and Polypterus senegalus, a fish capable of full fin regeneration. We identified conserved markers of proximal and distal blastema territories, shared activation of DNA damage repair, hif1a-mediated hypoxia response, and sequential activation of pro- and anti-inflammatory program. Apical epithelial ridge markers were expressed in both the wound epidermis and distal mesenchyme during limb and fin regeneration. Notably, hif4a-expressing erythrocytes were uniquely associated with proximal limb and fin amputations but not fin rays, while epidermal myoglobin expression was upregulated only in Polypterus and zebrafish fins. Genome-wide chromatin profiling identified candidate regeneration-responsive elements and a conserved enrichment for AP-1 transcription factor binding. Together, these finding identify shared and derived mechanisms of limb and fin regeneration.