Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2017
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V10
Höfundar / Authors: Jake Goodall (1), Vésteinn Snæbjarnarson(1), Tristan Lefeburé (2), Christophe C. Douady (2), Snæbjörn Pálsson (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland, 2. Laboratoire d'écologie des hydrosystèmes naturels et anthropisés, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
Kynnir / Presenter: Jake Goodall
Subterranean taxa represent unique evolutionary models due to their high levels of endemism, limited geographic range and distinct selection pressures. However, the highly convergent form of subterranean species, termed troglomorphy (characterised by shrinking/loss of eyes and pigment; elongation/enlargement of appendages and non-visual sensory organs) often presents a barrier to morphological taxon comparisons. Instead, researchers are increasingly turning to molecular based comparisons to elucidate the selective pressures subterranean environments impose on fauna.
Here we present a transcriptomic comparison between two amphipods species: the surface living Crangonyx pseudogracilis and the endemic subterranean species Crangonyx islandicus. Transcriptomes of each species were de novo assembled and gene families delimitated based on sequence homology between C. psuedogracilis and C. islandicus. The representation of functional groups within homologous/paralogous gene families was calculated using gene enrichment analysis, whilst rate of synonymous versus non-synonymous mutations (Dn/Ds) were calculated for homologous gene families. The results of this study shed light on evolution and adaptation in groundwater organisms by characterise which genes have been evolving under negative and positive selection.