Gene Expression in the Bull Frog Tadpole, Lithobates castebeianus, During Stages of Development
Presentation Date
7-2015
Abstract
A baby’s first breath is the most reflective change of their life. At this point, the baby’s lungs fill with oxygen. The first few breaths after birth are the most difficult. Tadpoles similarly undergo transformation. Metamorphosis refers to a rapid change in morphology and function as an animal grows. Tadpoles are adapted to an aquatic life breathing with the use of gills. When a later form of metamorphosis is reached, the tadpoles become adult frogs that are adapted to land and breath air with lungs. We are investigating the expression of a gene set at different stages of metamorphosis for the species Lithobates castebeianus. The pre –metamorphic stage occurs when the tadpoles have no limbs and a complete tail. The stage of metamorphic climax is when the animals have grown fore and hind limbs, yet the tail is still visible. We will euthanize the animals, extract the mRNA from brain tissue, and sequence this RNA. Once sequenced, we will align the genes to a similar species genome and compare the two stages. This will allow us to interpret what genes in this set are expressed for these phases of development.
Gene Expression in the Bull Frog Tadpole, Lithobates castebeianus, During Stages of Development
A baby’s first breath is the most reflective change of their life. At this point, the baby’s lungs fill with oxygen. The first few breaths after birth are the most difficult. Tadpoles similarly undergo transformation. Metamorphosis refers to a rapid change in morphology and function as an animal grows. Tadpoles are adapted to an aquatic life breathing with the use of gills. When a later form of metamorphosis is reached, the tadpoles become adult frogs that are adapted to land and breath air with lungs. We are investigating the expression of a gene set at different stages of metamorphosis for the species Lithobates castebeianus. The pre –metamorphic stage occurs when the tadpoles have no limbs and a complete tail. The stage of metamorphic climax is when the animals have grown fore and hind limbs, yet the tail is still visible. We will euthanize the animals, extract the mRNA from brain tissue, and sequence this RNA. Once sequenced, we will align the genes to a similar species genome and compare the two stages. This will allow us to interpret what genes in this set are expressed for these phases of development.