MRI: The Molecular Physiology of Stress in the Bioindicator Species Daphnia magna: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Research and Education

摘要：基恩州立学院的Whittemore博士获得了一项资助，以提高检测污染物对水生环境的存在和预测影响的能力，从而有效管理我们宝贵的水资源。大水蚤是一种淡水甲壳类动物，长期以来一直被用作淡水质量的指标。有充分的证据表明，这些无脊椎动物对各种各样的水生污染物高度敏感。大部分使用水蚤生物测定法的毒理学研究依赖于污染物暴露对生存、生长和繁殖的影响的测量。这类研究的结果往往难以检测和量化，而且不能可靠地再现。需要能够容易和迅速测量的水质生物指标，并显示出对接触亚致死毒物的敏感性。我们研究的长期目标是通过鉴定和量化暴露于特定污染物时表达的基因，进一步提高这种有价值的生物指示物种的有效性。该基金将用于获取实时PCR系统和差分显示系统，以进一步研究大水蚤的分子生理胁迫。差异显示系统将大大提高效率，我们能够识别基因表达的水蚤在亚致死暴露于特定的水生污染物。然后，这些基因的表达将使用实时PCR方法进行量化，目的是将这些基因开发为污染物暴露的敏感分子标记。生理学家苏珊·惠特莫尔（Susan Whittemore）和分子生物学家斯科特·斯特朗（Scott Strong）共同担任PI，他们都是小型公立文理学院基恩州立学院（Keene State college）的教员。所要求的设备将大大加强这两位教员的合作综合研究/教育努力。该项目为KSC本科生提供了分子生物学领域最先进的培训机会。从事教师指导的研究增强了我们的本科生的愿望和能力，其中许多人来自贫困背景和/或女性，追求生物学研究生培训。

Abstract: A grant has been awarded to Dr. Whittemore at Keene State College to improve the ability to detect the presence, as well as to predict the effects, of pollutants on aquatic environments for the effective management of our valuable water resources. Daphnia magna, a freshwater crustacean species, has long been used an indicator of freshwater quality. It has been well-demonstrated that these invertebrates are highly sensitive to a wide variety of aquatic contaminants. The bulk of the toxicological studies using bioassays based on Daphnia rely on measurements of the effects of contaminant exposure on survival, growth, and reproduction. The results of such studies are often difficult to detect and quantify and are not reliably reproduceable. There is a need for bioindicators of water quality that can be easily and rapidly measured and that demonstrate sensitivity to sublethal toxicant exposures. The long-term objective of our research is to further the effectiveness of this valuable bioindicator species through the identification and quantification of genes that are expressed upon exposure to specific contaminants. The grant will be used to acquire a real-time PCR system and a differential display system to further our investigations concerning the molecular physiology of stress in Daphnia magna. The differential display system will greatly enhance the efficiency with which we are able to identify genes that are expressed in Daphnia following sublethal exposure to specific aquatic contaminants. The expression of these genes will then be quantified using real-time PCR methodology with the objective of developing these genes as sensitive molecular markers of contaminant exposure. The PI, Susan Whittemore, a physiologist, and the co-PI, Scott Strong, a molecular biologist, are faculty members at a small public liberal arts college, Keene State College. The requested equipment will greatly enhance the collaborative integrated research/education efforts of these two faculty members. The project provides KSC undergraduates state-of-the-art training opportunities in the field of molecular biology. Engaging in faculty-mentored research enhances the desire and ability of our undergraduates, many of whom are from underprivileged backgrounds and/or are women, to pursue post-graduate training in biology.