Figure 2. Experimental design used to produce control, bulgy morph and reversion type tadpoles for the functional microarray analysis.

One group of tadpoles (Ex1) was placed with a larval salamander for 4 days to induce formation of the bulgy morph phenotype; the predator was then removed and the tadpoles were allowed to revert to the normal phenotype for 4 days. This group is termed “8 days-out tadpoles”. A second group of tadpoles (Ex2) was placed with the predator for the full 8 days. The control group was not exposed to a predator. Tadpoles from the Ex2 groups were sampled at 6 hours, 4 days and 8 days, those from the control group at 0 hour, 4 days, and 8 days. The tissues used for RNA extraction for the functional microarray analysis are indicated by the squares on the tadpoles. The symbols (1) to (4) indicate the comparative design of the microarray analysis, which was performed in triplicate with a dye swap experiment using cDNA microarray spotted onto different locations of the slide glass triplicates.