Transcriptome profiling of individual larvae of two different developmental modes in the poecilogonous polychaete Streblospio benedicti (Spionidae).
Understanding the range of biochemical and physiological phenotypes in a cohort of embryos or larvae is crucial to understanding the lifespan, dispersal potential, and recruitment success of the early life history stages of a species. In this study, a novel kinetic assay has been employed to profile the transcriptome pool complexity in individual larvae of both planktotrophic and lecithotrophic developmental modes in the poecilogonous polycheate Streblospio benedicti. Using a nano-scale synthesis strategy, the mRNA pool in a single embryo or larva can be amplified into cDNA for quantitative characterization in a high-throughput, kinetic reannealing assay in a 96-well, microtiterplate format. This assay generates transcript-pool complexity estimates at 1 degrees C temperature increments for each sample producing 3,360 quantitative measurements per 96-well plate. Measuring transcriptome complexity on 8 individual planktotrophic and 8 individual lecithotrophic larvae (with 4 duplicate assays for each individual) reveals a more complex gene expression profile in planktotrophic larvae and a lower level of interindividual variation in expression patterns in lecithotrophic larvae. Although differences in these gene expression patterns are more likely due to physiological differences between feeding and non-feeding larval types in these late-stage individuals, this is one of the first assessments of inter-individual variation in gene expression patterns in marine invertebrate larvae and indicates a large potential for developmental variability.
Marsh
Adam G
AG
College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware 19958, USA. amarsh@udel.edu
Fielman
Kevin T
KT
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D003691:Delaware; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008396:Maryland; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary