Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Diapause, Anoxia, RNA
Advisor
Jason Podrabsky
Student Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Austrofundulus limnaeus live in ephemeral ponds of Venezuela. They have evolved a unique life history that includes embryonic diapause, a period of developmental dormancy, metabolic arrest, and reduced protein synthesis. Diapausing embryos are resistant to environmental stress and survive months without oxygen (anoxia). A. limnaeus’ anoxia tolerance is an important survival mechanism as they can be buried in anoxic soil during development. Analysis of RNAseq data from diapausing A. limnaeus embryos show significant down-regulation of RGS2 transcripts in anoxic embryos. RGS2 regulates G-protein receptor signaling by inhibiting associated Ga-proteins and can inhibit protein synthesis. I hypothesis that RGS2 acts as a “brake” for protein synthesis in diapausing embryos, allowing the embryos to respond to stress and aids in the maintenance of diapause post stress. To evaluate this hypothesis, I will use vivo-morpholinos to inhibit RGS2 in anoxia exposed diapausing embryos. If RGS2 is the “brake” for protein synthesis, protein synthesis should be detected after inhibition. If the inhibition of protein synthesis is required to maintain diapause post stress, then RGS2-inhibited embryos should break diapause before non RGS2-inhibited embryos post anoxia. Understanding how A. limnaeus responds to anoxia and maintains dormancy could lead to a better understanding of how stress is handled dormancy.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41895
Included in
Examining the Role of RGS2 in the Maintenance of Diapause After Anoxic Stress in Embryos of the Annual Killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus
Austrofundulus limnaeus live in ephemeral ponds of Venezuela. They have evolved a unique life history that includes embryonic diapause, a period of developmental dormancy, metabolic arrest, and reduced protein synthesis. Diapausing embryos are resistant to environmental stress and survive months without oxygen (anoxia). A. limnaeus’ anoxia tolerance is an important survival mechanism as they can be buried in anoxic soil during development. Analysis of RNAseq data from diapausing A. limnaeus embryos show significant down-regulation of RGS2 transcripts in anoxic embryos. RGS2 regulates G-protein receptor signaling by inhibiting associated Ga-proteins and can inhibit protein synthesis. I hypothesis that RGS2 acts as a “brake” for protein synthesis in diapausing embryos, allowing the embryos to respond to stress and aids in the maintenance of diapause post stress. To evaluate this hypothesis, I will use vivo-morpholinos to inhibit RGS2 in anoxia exposed diapausing embryos. If RGS2 is the “brake” for protein synthesis, protein synthesis should be detected after inhibition. If the inhibition of protein synthesis is required to maintain diapause post stress, then RGS2-inhibited embryos should break diapause before non RGS2-inhibited embryos post anoxia. Understanding how A. limnaeus responds to anoxia and maintains dormancy could lead to a better understanding of how stress is handled dormancy.