Functional Genomics of a Dietary Shift in a Mammalian Herbivore: Creosote Feeding in Neotoma Lepida

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Principal Investigators: Dr. M. Denise Dearing, Dr. Kirk Thomas Project Number: IOS-0817527 TITLE: Functional Genomics of a Dietary Shift in a Mammalian Herbivore: Creosote Feeding in Neotoma lepida For mammals that consume plants, one of the greatest challenges in shifting from one diet to another is the detoxification of novel plant toxins. We propose to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms used by mammalian herbivores by capitalizing on population differences in the feeding behavior of the desert woodrat. Approximately 11,000 before present, populations of desert woodrats occupying what is now the Mojave desert, underwent a major shift from feeding on a diet of juniper to that of a natural invader, creosote. Populations of woodrats that currently live in the Mojave have adapted to highly toxic creosote as evidenced by their ability to ingest greater quantities of creosote compared to populations that have no prior experience. In this project, the investigators will determine the underlying mechanisms for this difference in ability to process creosote. The investigators will use a combination of approaches from pharmacology and molecular ecology as well as cutting edge genomics techniques. The investigators expect to find specific liver enzymes that convey the ability to consume creosote toxins. The differences in liver enzymes between woodrats may be valuable in explaining differences among human populations in the metabolism of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds. This work will promote the understanding of how mammals adapt to radical changes in diet after natural climate change. The data can be extrapolated to predicting how woodrats will respond to current and future climate change. One of the broader impacts is a contribution to scientific infrastructure in the form of a transcriptome of a non-model organism that will be available to other scientists. The investigators are committed to scientific outreach and participate in one or more outreach events annually in the community (e.g., science fairs, public lectures). The project will provide cutting edge, interdisciplinary training for a postdoctoral fellow, graduate students, undergraduates, summer high school students and for an assistant professor from an undergraduate institution. Trainees on this project will come from underrepresented groups in science, e.g., women and ethnic minorities.