Development of Resources to Enable Exploration of the Lamprey Transcriptome

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal is to establish a communal genomic resource that will facilitate and accelerate biomedical and biological research in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a model for vertebrate evolution, disease processes and behavioral mechanisms. Lampreys are survivors from the jawless stage of vertebrate evolution. Studies using the sea lamprey as a model organism have helped understand evolution of jaws, fins, neural crest and adaptive immunity. In addition, the sea lamprey is a primary model for spinal cord injury and function, and recently has been used in neurodegenerative disease. Finally, radical changes in many organs during metamorphosis offer unique and efficient, but currently underutilized, models for understanding numerous liver diseases and autoimmune responses. However, genomic resources for the sea lamprey have been surprisingly poor for a species with such a crucial evolutionary niche and demonstrated utility in biomedical and development research. It was identified that comprehensive transcriptomes and high density microarrays, when shared among the community, can enhance the existing resources and enable an explosive growth in lamprey research. This proposed project will accomplish two objectives: (1) establish comprehensive transcriptomes across different tissues throughout the life history;and (2) develop a high density cDNA oligonucleotide microarray. When these two objectives are accomplished, the resulted resources will accelerate discoveries that may lead cure to spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative disease. These resources will help understand many other disease processes.