Stage-specific transcriptomic analyses of reproductive tissue in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas ...

• Main Author: Paul, Austin M. author
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Southern California Digital Library (USC.DL) 2014
• Subjects: Biology degree program; Doctor of Philosophy degree; College of Letters, Arts and Sciences school; Pacific; Crassostrea gigas; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-365000; https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1LJ70WG

The Pacific oyster is an important aquaculture species which suffers from reduced larval survival related to variation in state of gonad maturation among broodstock used for larval production. Gene expression was investigated as a potential indicator of reproductive stage. Stage-specific libraries were created by RNA sequencing, which were used for testing and identification of stage-specific, differentially expressed genes. Multiple factors related to the normalization and interpretation of gene expression data were queried, including the role of deadenylation of mRNA in developing oocytes. A set of candidate biomarker genes were screened for their correlation with and ability to predict maturation stage in female oysters. The results justify further development and use of expression data to identify maturation state. ...