Sequencing of stress genes in Atlantic cod Gadus morhua
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. ..Atlantic cod research project

 

 

The main goal of this project is to increase knowledge of environmental impact and gene expression in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua through generation and analysis of genetic data. Stress genes in a number of tissues of fish exposed to waterborne pollutants and dietary undesirables and supplements, will be sequenced as Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). Single gene expression and patterns in gene expression will be analysed by quantitative real-time PCR and microarray technology, respectively. The project operates as collaboration between several researches groups that work on various aspects of stress in fish. As soon as the nucleotide sequences of stress genes are determined, the knowledge will be implemented in current and proposed research project to elucidate gene regulation in cod. Knowledge gained by this project will be of high importance for the establishment of a successful cod aquaculture industry, providing valuable tools in assessing normal status and early signs of adverse fish health, as well as in establishing the Atlantic cod as the central biomonitoring fish species in marine ecosystems in Norwegian waters.

Main aims
  1. The main objective of this project is to sequence a number of stress genes in the Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. mRNA will be isolated from various tissues (e.g. liver, kidney, gills, gonad, brain, bone, blood cells, red/white muscle, epithelial cells, gut etc.) at different developmental stages and after different type of environmental and aquacultural stressors/conditions. The mRNA will then be transcribed into cDNA and libraries constructed in plasmid vectors. Plasmid inserts will be sequenced and the Expressed Sequenced Tags (EST) clones will be stored, and later applied for cod cDNA microarray production.
  2. Sequenced and annotated ESTs from cod will be uploaded to the GenBank at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) or the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). Most researchers use databases such as those at the NCBI (USA) and the EMBL to look for gene sequences, and it is more convenient to upload sequenced ESTs to the GenBank rather than creating new databases. Quantitative gene expression in cod will be studied by real-time PCR, and primers/probes designed from the sequenced ESTs.
  3. On basis of the verified EST clones, a limited number of toxicogenomic microarray's will be created. The cod stress gene array will then be used by the applicants in their ongoing research projects. How specific genes respond to a particular treatment will be screened by the use of the microarray technique, and gene up- and down regulation mapped to elucidate the effect of environmental and aquacultural stress.

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Project leader:

  • Dr. scient. Pål A. Olsvik, National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), P.O. Box 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
Participants:
  • Principal scientist Gro-Ingunn Hemre, NIFES, P.O. Box 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
  • Professor Rune Waagbø, NIFES, P.O. Box 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
  • Senior scientist Sonnich Meier, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway
  • Professor Anders Goksøyr, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
  • Professor Ketil Hylland, Norwegian Institute of Water Research (NIVA), P.O.Box, 173 Kjelsås, N-0411 Oslo, Norway
  • Professor Rolf A. Andersen, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
  • Associate professor Augustine Arukwe, Department of Biology, NTNU, Høgskoleringen 5, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
  • Associate professor Malin Celander, Goteborg University, Department of Zoology, Box 463, SE 405 30 Goteborg, Sweden

Invitation to join the International Cod Genomic Consortium (ICGC)

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Webmaster: Pål A. Olsvik, NIFES, Pb. 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway, Last updated: 23.04.2009