In silico characterization of the insect diapause-associated protein couch potato (CPO) in Calanus finmarchicus (Crustacea: Copepoda).

Couch potato (CPO) is an RNA-binding protein involved in the regulation of nervous system development and adult diapause in insects. Within insects, this protein is highly conserved, yet it has not been identified in another large arthropod group, the Crustacea. Here, functional genomics was used to identify putative CPO homologs in the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, a planktonic crustacean that undergoes seasonal diapause.

From genes to behavior: investigations of neurochemical signaling come of age for the model crustacean Daphnia pulex.

The cladoceran crustacean Daphnia pulex has served as a standard organism for aquatic toxicity testing for decades. The model organism status of D. pulex rests largely on its remarkable ability to rapidly adapt morphologically, physiologically and behaviorally to a wide range of environmental challenges, as well as on its parthenogenetic reproduction and ease of laboratory culture.

Genomic analyses of aminergic signaling systems (dopamine, octopamine and serotonin) in Daphnia pulex.

Amines are one class of signaling molecules used by nervous systems. In crustaceans, four amines are recognized: dopamine, histamine, octopamine, and serotonin. While much is known about the physiological actions of amines in crustaceans, little is known about them at the molecular level.

Genomic identification of a putative circadian system in the cladoceran crustacean Daphnia pulex.

Essentially nothing is known about the molecular underpinnings of crustacean circadian clocks. The genome of Daphnia pulex, the only crustacean genome available for public use, provides a unique resource for identifying putative circadian proteins in this species. Here, the Daphnia genome was mined for putative circadian protein genes using Drosophila melanogaster queries.

Histaminergic signaling in the central nervous system of Daphnia and a role for it in the control of phototactic behavior.

Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulex are well-established model organisms in the fields of ecotoxicology and toxicogenomics. Among the many assays used for determining the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on these animals is monitoring for changes in their phototactic behavior. In most arthropods, histamine has been shown to play a key role in the visual system.

Genomic analyses of the Daphnia pulex peptidome.

Genome mining has provided a valuable tool for peptide discovery in many species, yet no crustacean has undergone this analysis. Currently, the only crustacean with a sequenced genome is the cladoceran Daphnia pulex, a model organism in many fields of biology. Here, we have mined the D.

Bioinformatic prediction of arthropod/nematode-like peptides in non-arthropod, non-nematode members of the Ecdysozoa.

The Onychophora, Priapulida and Tardigrada, along with the Arthropoda, Nematoda and several other small phyla, form the superphylum Ecdysozoa. Numerous peptidomic studies have been undertaken for both the arthropods and nematodes, resulting in the identification of many peptides from each group. In contrast, little is known about the peptides used as paracrines/hormones by species from the other ecdysozoan taxa.