The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton.
Several months of darkness during polar night impose unique challenges on polar phototrophic organisms, whereby solar energy capture via plastid-based photosystems remains unattainable for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, energy acquisition via the contribution of retinal- based phototrophy...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10852/108188 |
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ftoslouniv:oai:www.duo.uio.no:10852/108188 2024-09-15T17:50:30+00:00 The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh 2023 http://hdl.handle.net/10852/108188 eng eng Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh. The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. Master thesis, University of Oslo, 2023 http://hdl.handle.net/10852/108188 qPCR assay polar night phytoplankton time series rhodopsins Arctic Master thesis Masteroppgave 2023 ftoslouniv 2024-08-05T14:09:29Z Several months of darkness during polar night impose unique challenges on polar phototrophic organisms, whereby solar energy capture via plastid-based photosystems remains unattainable for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, energy acquisition via the contribution of retinal- based phototrophy from microbial rhodopsins in high Arctic phytoplankton remains entirely unexplored. Light regime at the subsurface, via the investigation of spectral composition, intensity and duration, was studied throughout this time series spanning the transition from polar night to the spring equinox to explore this as a potential driver of rhodopsin expression. Blue- and green-light was observed as the dominant light type, especially during field campaigns associated with the lowest solar declination angles, suggesting that light-harvesting activity from blue- and green-light absorbing rhodopsins could be sustained given spectral composition and intensity. A quantitative PCR assay based on the use of SYBR Green was developed to investigate rhodopsin gene abundance and expression in two strains of high Arctic phytoplankton as the light climate evolves. Preliminary testing via PCR was performed whilst continuously optimizing reaction conditions (primer concentrations, temperature trials, genetic material type and quantity). With the addition of a standard curve to standardize amplification, the assay was applied to DNA and RNA extracts from environmental samples collected bimonthly throughout the time series. Stochasticity and primer entropy was observed, likely due to their use on environmental samples containing very little genetic material. The assay did provide consistent results and demonstrated that stronger deductions can be made for rhodopsin gene abundance and expression in high Arctic phytoplankton should a higher yield of target DNA/RNA be present in the samples. Ambient environmental conditions at the sampling site (temperature, salinity, nutrients, and fluorescence) displayed values expected for a prebloom phase and ... Master Thesis Arctic Phytoplankton polar night Universitet i Oslo: Digitale utgivelser ved UiO (DUO) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Universitet i Oslo: Digitale utgivelser ved UiO (DUO) |
op_collection_id |
ftoslouniv |
language |
English |
topic |
qPCR assay polar night phytoplankton time series rhodopsins Arctic |
spellingShingle |
qPCR assay polar night phytoplankton time series rhodopsins Arctic Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
topic_facet |
qPCR assay polar night phytoplankton time series rhodopsins Arctic |
description |
Several months of darkness during polar night impose unique challenges on polar phototrophic organisms, whereby solar energy capture via plastid-based photosystems remains unattainable for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, energy acquisition via the contribution of retinal- based phototrophy from microbial rhodopsins in high Arctic phytoplankton remains entirely unexplored. Light regime at the subsurface, via the investigation of spectral composition, intensity and duration, was studied throughout this time series spanning the transition from polar night to the spring equinox to explore this as a potential driver of rhodopsin expression. Blue- and green-light was observed as the dominant light type, especially during field campaigns associated with the lowest solar declination angles, suggesting that light-harvesting activity from blue- and green-light absorbing rhodopsins could be sustained given spectral composition and intensity. A quantitative PCR assay based on the use of SYBR Green was developed to investigate rhodopsin gene abundance and expression in two strains of high Arctic phytoplankton as the light climate evolves. Preliminary testing via PCR was performed whilst continuously optimizing reaction conditions (primer concentrations, temperature trials, genetic material type and quantity). With the addition of a standard curve to standardize amplification, the assay was applied to DNA and RNA extracts from environmental samples collected bimonthly throughout the time series. Stochasticity and primer entropy was observed, likely due to their use on environmental samples containing very little genetic material. The assay did provide consistent results and demonstrated that stronger deductions can be made for rhodopsin gene abundance and expression in high Arctic phytoplankton should a higher yield of target DNA/RNA be present in the samples. Ambient environmental conditions at the sampling site (temperature, salinity, nutrients, and fluorescence) displayed values expected for a prebloom phase and ... |
format |
Master Thesis |
author |
Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh |
author_facet |
Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh |
author_sort |
Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh |
title |
The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
title_short |
The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
title_full |
The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
title_fullStr |
The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
title_full_unstemmed |
The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. |
title_sort |
design and application of a qpcr assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high arctic phytoplankton. |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10852/108188 |
genre |
Arctic Phytoplankton polar night |
genre_facet |
Arctic Phytoplankton polar night |
op_relation |
Nicholls, Emilie Kavanagh. The design and application of a qPCR assay for the study of light regime as a driver of rhodopsin expression in high Arctic phytoplankton. Master thesis, University of Oslo, 2023 http://hdl.handle.net/10852/108188 |
_version_ |
1810292310553919488 |