Table III.
Examples of studies using microarrays or ESTs to identify adaptively important changes in gene expression.
Species | Array type | Tissue | Comparison | Major Findings | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fundulus heteroclitus (killifish) | cDNA | heart | Northern population versus a southern population and sister taxa from the Gulf, F. grandis | Gene expression for 20% of genes varied significantly between individuals. 15 genes (1.5%) with adaptive signature perhaps due to temperature. | (Oleksiak et al., 2002) |
cDNA | brain & liver | Three chronically polluted populations, each with two flanking reference populations | Gene expression for 8-32% of genes showed potentially adaptive changes in gene expression. Few significant genes shared among different polluted populations. | (Fisher and Oleksiak, 2007; Oleksiak, 2008) | |
cDNA | heart | Clinal variation among 5 populations | Much of variation in gene expression was neutral, but 22% of gene expression was potentially adaptive. | (Whitehead and Crawford, 2006) | |
Platichthys flesus (European flounder) | cDNA | liver | Baltic Sea versus North Sea population | 5% (158) of genes were significantly differently expressed in North Sea and Baltic Sea flounders subjected to the same salinities under controlled conditions. | (Larsen et al., 2007) |
Salmo salar (Atlantic salmon) | cDNA | brain | Sneaker males versus age matched females and immature males | 15% of genes differed between sneaker and immature males. | (Aubin-Horth et al., 2005) |
Neolamprologus pulcher (Tanganyikan cichlid) | cDNA | brain | Dominant males & females versus subordinate males and females | Dominant breeder females were masculinized at the molecular and hormonal level. | (Aubin-Horth et al., 2007) |
Coregonus sp. (whitefish) | cDNA | liver | Dwarf versus normal whitefish populations | Significant over-expression of genes potentially associated with enhanced activity, and down-regulation of genes associated with growth in dwarf whitefish. | (St-Cyr et al., 2008) |
Dissostichus mawsoni (Antarctic toothfish) | In silico | Brain, liver, head kidney, & ovary | Antarctic fish versus five temperate/tropical species | 177 notothenioid protein families highly expressed compared to the temperate species. Significant Antarctic specific gene duplications. | (Chen et al., 2008) |