Molecular detection of marine invertebrate larvae.
The ecological patterns of many invertebrate larvae remain an ongoing mystery, in large part owing to the difficult task of detecting them in the water column. The development of nucleic-acid-based technology has the potential to resolve this issue by direct identification and monitoring of embryonic and larval forms in situ. We report herein on the successful development and application of nucleic-acid-based sandwich hybridization assays that detect barnacles using rRNA-targeted probes with both group-(order Thoracica) and species-(Balanus glandula) specificity. Primary results include the determination of target 18S rRNA sequences and the construction of "capture" probes for detection of larvae using hybridization techniques. In addition, we modified existing protocols for whole cell hybridization of invertebrate larvae as confirmation of the sandwich hybridization results. We used both hybridization techniques successfully in the laboratory on a plankton time series collected over 3 months, as well as a week-long in situ deployment of the technique in Monterey Bay, CA. The adaptability of this technology promises to be further applicable to various organisms and could be used to enhance our understanding of larval presence in the world's oceans.
Goffredi
Shana K
SK
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Rd., Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA. goffredi@caltech.edu
Jones
William J
WJ
Scholin
Christopher A
CA
Marin
Roman
R
Vrijenhoek
Robert C
RC
D000399:Air Pressure; D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D010933:Plankton / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature; D001468:Thoracica / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S