Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic
This study uses molecular approaches to investigate evidence of climate adaptation of a marine zooplankton species in the Arctic Ocean. Euphausiids (krill) are abundant and ecologically important members of the ocean ecosystems and play key roles in pelagic food webs. The specific goal is to analyze...
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ftunivconn:oai:opencommons.uconn.edu:srhonors_theses-1862 2023-05-15T14:51:52+02:00 Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic Frenzel, Alexandra 2021-06-09T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/770 https://opencommons.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1862&context=srhonors_theses unknown OpenCommons@UConn https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/770 https://opencommons.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1862&context=srhonors_theses Honors Scholar Theses Zooplankton Arctic RNA sequencing DNA barcoding gene expression climate change text 2021 ftunivconn 2022-07-11T18:54:37Z This study uses molecular approaches to investigate evidence of climate adaptation of a marine zooplankton species in the Arctic Ocean. Euphausiids (krill) are abundant and ecologically important members of the ocean ecosystems and play key roles in pelagic food webs. The specific goal is to analyze patterns of gene expression, which is measured as RNA concentration for all genes across the entire transcriptome and also for specific target genes of known function, for the euphausiid Thysanoessa longicaudata. Gene expression can reveal responses to thermal stress associated with exposure to temperatures outside the normal range for the species. Specimens of T. longicaudata were collected and flash frozen, to preserve RNA, from the relatively warmer waters in the Fram Strait, in Atlantic waters west of Svalbard, Norway, and from the colder waters north of Svalbard. First, the samples were sequenced for the DNA barcode region of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) to confirm species identification. RNA was extracted from individual specimens and prepared for sequencing. RNA sequencing provides a snapshot of gene expression in the organisms within their present conditions. Differential gene expression analysis (comparison of RNA concentration between specimens) indicates environmental stress responses and possible adaptation of the species to varying conditions, including temperature. Bioinformatics reveals the function of the selected genes (i.e., gene annotation), and genes with functional roles hypothesized to be important for thermal adaptation can be selected and analyzed for differential expression using quantitative PCR (qPCR). The Arctic Ocean is experiencing rapid climate change and evaluating the capabilities of key species to adapt may allow better prediction of their survival and ecosystem resilience for the future. Text Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change Fram Strait Svalbard Zooplankton University of Connecticut (UConn): DigitalCommons@UConn Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard |
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University of Connecticut (UConn): DigitalCommons@UConn |
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Zooplankton Arctic RNA sequencing DNA barcoding gene expression climate change |
spellingShingle |
Zooplankton Arctic RNA sequencing DNA barcoding gene expression climate change Frenzel, Alexandra Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
topic_facet |
Zooplankton Arctic RNA sequencing DNA barcoding gene expression climate change |
description |
This study uses molecular approaches to investigate evidence of climate adaptation of a marine zooplankton species in the Arctic Ocean. Euphausiids (krill) are abundant and ecologically important members of the ocean ecosystems and play key roles in pelagic food webs. The specific goal is to analyze patterns of gene expression, which is measured as RNA concentration for all genes across the entire transcriptome and also for specific target genes of known function, for the euphausiid Thysanoessa longicaudata. Gene expression can reveal responses to thermal stress associated with exposure to temperatures outside the normal range for the species. Specimens of T. longicaudata were collected and flash frozen, to preserve RNA, from the relatively warmer waters in the Fram Strait, in Atlantic waters west of Svalbard, Norway, and from the colder waters north of Svalbard. First, the samples were sequenced for the DNA barcode region of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) to confirm species identification. RNA was extracted from individual specimens and prepared for sequencing. RNA sequencing provides a snapshot of gene expression in the organisms within their present conditions. Differential gene expression analysis (comparison of RNA concentration between specimens) indicates environmental stress responses and possible adaptation of the species to varying conditions, including temperature. Bioinformatics reveals the function of the selected genes (i.e., gene annotation), and genes with functional roles hypothesized to be important for thermal adaptation can be selected and analyzed for differential expression using quantitative PCR (qPCR). The Arctic Ocean is experiencing rapid climate change and evaluating the capabilities of key species to adapt may allow better prediction of their survival and ecosystem resilience for the future. |
format |
Text |
author |
Frenzel, Alexandra |
author_facet |
Frenzel, Alexandra |
author_sort |
Frenzel, Alexandra |
title |
Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
title_short |
Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
title_full |
Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Molecular Markers of Climate Adaptation of Thysanoessa longicaudata (Euphausiacea) in the Arctic |
title_sort |
molecular markers of climate adaptation of thysanoessa longicaudata (euphausiacea) in the arctic |
publisher |
OpenCommons@UConn |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/770 https://opencommons.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1862&context=srhonors_theses |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Norway Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change Fram Strait Svalbard Zooplankton |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Climate change Fram Strait Svalbard Zooplankton |
op_source |
Honors Scholar Theses |
op_relation |
https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/770 https://opencommons.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1862&context=srhonors_theses |
_version_ |
1766323021059981312 |