Project description:Fractionation of normal and abnormal African penguin samples via capillary electrophoresis demonstrated a change from a left skewed composition to a right skewed composition. Further analysis of this fraction via mass spectrometry revealed key proteins associated with this skewed.
Project description:Heart development is known to be influenced by haemodynamics, however the effects of abnormal load on gene expression are not clearly defined. To determine the hearts transcriptional response to stress, a model of haemodynamic alteration, outflow tract (OFT) banding, was employed in the chick embryo at HH21. Stereological and expression analysis were performed at HH29, with targeted expression studies at HH35. We defined a phenotype of left sided heart dilation and performed RNA sequencing on OFT-banded hearts compared to Sham controls. Globin transcripts were depleted in the RNA during library preparation, and 28 differentially expressed genes were identified. Expression appeared to represent a mechanism of cardioprotection with calcium sequestering, metabolic and developmental genes highlighted. Significant reductions in apoptosis were also seen. We have presented a model of left sided dilation in OFT-banded hearts and found differential expression of genes that may be associated with stress and maintaining cardiac output.
Project description:While safety of fasting therapy is debated in humans, extended fasting occurs routinely and safely in wild animals. To do so, food deprived animals like breeding penguins anticipate the critical limit of fasting by resuming feeding. To date, however, no molecular indices of the physiological state that links spontaneous refeeding behaviour with fasting limits had been identified. Blood proteomics and physiological data reveal here that fasting-induced body protein depletion is not unsafe “per se”. Indeed, incubating penguins only abandon their chick/egg to refeed when this state is associated with metabolic defects in glucose homeostasis/fatty acid utilization, insulin production and action, and possible renal dysfunctions. Our data illustrate how the field investigation of “exotic” models can be a unique source of information, with possible biomedical interest.
