Publications by authors named "Adrienne Robb"

Background: There are a growing number of genomes sequenced with tentative functions assigned to a large proportion of the individual genes. Model organisms in laboratory settings form the basis for the assignment of gene function, and the ecological context of gene function is lacking. This work addresses this shortcoming by investigating expressed genes of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) muscle tissue.

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Background: The products of cyp19, dax, foxl2, mis, sf1 and sox9 have each been associated with sex-determining processes among vertebrates. We provide evidence for expression of these regulators very early in salmonid development and in tissues outside of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/gonadal (HPAG) axis. Although the function of these factors in sexual differentiation have been defined, their roles in early development before sexual fate decisions and in tissues beyond the brain or gonad are essentially unknown.

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Article Synopsis
  • Salmonids are important due to their recent genome duplication and significant roles in fisheries and aquaculture, providing valuable genomic insights for diverse fish species.
  • The study gathered 298,304 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from various species, predominantly Atlantic salmon, and created a comprehensive database for genomic research that shows high similarity among species.
  • The findings indicate that Pacific and Atlantic salmon, along with charr, share 94-96% genetic similarity, while other species like whitefish and pike show lower similarities, highlighting a complex history of gene duplication in the salmonid family.
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Background: Growth hormone (GH) is an important regulator of skeletal growth, as well as other adapted processes in salmonids. The GH gene (gh) in salmonids is represented by duplicated, non-allelic isoforms designated as gh1 and gh2. We have isolated and characterized gh-containing bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) of both Atlantic and Chinook salmon (Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in order to further elucidate our understanding of the conservation and regulation of these loci.

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Nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid sequences from approximately 15,000 salmon louse expressed sequence tags (ESTs), the complete mitochondrial genome (16,148bp) of salmon louse, and 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes from 68 salmon lice collected from Japan, Alaska, and western Canada support a Pacific lineage of Lepeophtheirus salmonis that is distinct from that occurring in the Atlantic Ocean. On average, nuclear genes are 3.2% different, the complete mitochondrial genome is 7.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the T-cell receptor gamma (TCRgamma) gene in Atlantic salmon, revealing significant variation in its ability to recognize antigens due to gene segment diversity.
  • This is the first comprehensive analysis of the TCRgamma locus in teleost fish, discovering two loci: TCRgamma 1, which is extensive and contains multiple variable, joining, and constant regions, and TCRgamma 2, which has a non-expressed cluster.
  • The research also indicates that Atlantic salmon possess a unique T-cell immune response with more constant regions compared to other species, supporting the presence of a functional gammadelta T-cell immune system.
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Article Synopsis
  • The TCR alpha/delta locus in Atlantic salmon has been fully characterized, revealing 292 Valpha/delta segments and 123 Jalpha/delta segments within a 900 kb region.
  • Among these, 128 Valpha/delta and 113 Jalpha segments are functional, marking the largest known repertoire of these segments in any organism.
  • Expression analysis shows significant diversity in T-cell receptor usage, with a total of 652 unique genes identified, indicating a high capacity for the Atlantic salmon's immune system to recognize various antigens.
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