Dissertation Research: Expression and Evolution of Genes Underlying Water Retention in Heteromyid Rodents from Xeric and Mesic Environments

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Kangaroo rats (Dipodomys sp.) and other members of the Heteromyidae have long been noted for their ability to limit water loss through the production of highly concentrated waste. Studies have focused on their kidney physiology; however investigators previously lacked the resources necessary to identify the genes underlying this adaptation. This project will use next generation sequencing to survey the kidney transcriptomes (i.e., genes expressed in the kidney) of desert adapted Heteromyids from the Southwestern United States (Dipodomys spectabilis and Chaetodipus baileyi) as well as a Heteromyid species from the rainforests of Costa Rica (Heteromys desmarestianus). The goal of this research is to identify the genetic basis of an adaptation for efficient water use by desert rodents in the family Heteromyidae. Thus, the project will identify differences in gene expression and sequence evolution between desert adapted species and a species that has evolved without the selective pressure of water scarcity. These differences will permit the identification of genes integral to efficient kidney function and water retention as well the molecular basis of adaptations to life in arid habitats. Additionally, these insights could extend our understanding of patterns of gene expression and mutations behind abnormal kidney function and kidney disease.