title: Identification of Genes Uniquely Expressed in the Germ-Line Tissues of the Jewel Wasp Nasonia vitripennis.
abstract: The jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis is a rising model organism for the study of haplo-diploid reproduction characteristic of hymenopteran insects, which include all wasps, bees, and ants. We performed transcriptional profiling of the ovary, the female soma, and the male soma of N. vitripennis to complement a previously existing transcriptome of the wasp testis. These data were deposited into an open-access genome browser for visualization of transcripts relative to their gene models. We used these data to identify the assemblies of genes uniquely expressed in the germ-line tissues. We found that 156 protein-coding genes are expressed exclusively in the wasp testis compared with only 22 in the ovary. Of the testis-specific genes, eight are candidates for male-specific DNA packaging proteins known as protamines. We found very similar expression patterns of centrosome associated genes in the testis and ovary, arguing that de novo centrosome formation, a key process for development of unfertilized eggs into males, likely does not rely on large-scale transcriptional differences between these tissues. In contrast, a number of meiosis-related genes show a bias toward testis-specific expression, despite the lack of true meiosis in N. vitripennis males. These patterns may reflect an unexpected complexity of male gamete production in the haploid males of this organism. Broadly, these data add to the growing number of genomic and genetic tools available in N. vitripennis for addressing important biological questions in this rising insect model organism.
authors.affiliation: W. M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California 91711 pferree@kecksci.claremont.edu omar.akbari@UCR.edu.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferree
authors.affiliation: W. M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California 91711.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: W. M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, California 91711.
authors.forename: Mariah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mastrodimos
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), MC156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), MC156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amrhein
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside Center for Disease Vector Research, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521 pferree@kecksci.claremont.edu omar.akbari@UCR.edu.
authors.forename: Omar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Akbari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004171:Diploidy; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006238:Haploidy; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome; D014863:Wasps / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Nasonia; chromatin; ovary; testis; transcriptome