The overall aim of this study is to identify in fish candidate genes associated with resistance to stress conditions and thus provide the physiological and genetic basis for new marker-assisted selection strategies. The recent development of genomic tools, particularly microarray technology, allows systematic gene expression analysis of biological material and provides an integrated overview of the global response at the level of gene expression. Such information is of major importance for identifying genes responsible for genetic variation in response to stress and for further development of a sufficient number of molecular markers, a critical requirement for marker-assisted selection schemes. The present study proposes, for the first time, to apply this new functional genomic approach to examine a complex physiological problem: analysis of the pattern of gene expression at the tissue level in response to exposure to a stressor. It is proposed to examine gene expression profiles in rainbow trout during exposure to a range of stressors typical of those encountered in the aquaculture environment. This should lead to characterisation of stress-responsive genes as potential candidate gene markers.
The rainbow trout has been selected as the focus of this project for several reasons: it is an important aquaculture species throughout Europe; there is a large body of physiological and genetic data available for this species; strains with divergent responsiveness to stress are available; all the partners have worked extensively on this species.
Contact person for futher information:
Partner 1 (Coordinator): Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA UR 1037)
Responsible scientist : Dr. Patrick PRUNET
INRA/SCRIBE, campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes cedex, France
Tel: (33)223-48-50-14
Fax: (33)223-48-50-20
E-Mail: prunet@beaulieu.rennes.inra.fr
Partner 1's subcontractor: Institut National de Recherche en
Informatique et Automatique (INRIA)
Responsible scientist: Dr. Jacques NICOLAS
INRIA/IRISA, campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes cedex, France.
Tel: (33)299-84-73-12
Fax: (33)299-84-71-71
E-Mail: jnicolas@irisa.fr
Partner 2: University of Aberdeen (UNIABN)
Responsible scientist: Professor Chris SECOMBES
Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, 2 Tillydrone Avenue, AB24 2TZ Aberdeen, UK
Tel: (44)1224-272872
Fax: (44)1224-272396
E-Mail: c.secombes@abdn.ac.uk
Partner 3: National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI, Galway)
Responsible scientist: Dr. Terry SMITH
National Diagnostic Centre, University road, Galway, Ireland.
Tel: (353)91-586-559
Fax: (353)91-586-570
E-Mail: terry.smith@nuigalway.ie
Partner 4: The University of Liverpool (Liverpool)
Responsible scientist: Prof. Andrew COSSINS
University of Liverpool, School of Biological Sciences, Derby Building, Brownlow Street, L69 3BX Liverpool, UK
Tel: (44)151-794-4992
Fax: (44)151-794-5017
E-Mail: cossins@liv.ac.uk
Partner 5: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Responsible scientist: Dr. Tom POTTINGER
Centre for Ecology and Hydrobiology, Windermere Laboratory, Far Sawrey, LA22 0LP Ambleside, Cumbria, UK
Tel: (44)15394-42468
Fax: (44)15394-46914
E-Mail: tgp@ceh.ac.uk
Partner 6: Uppsala University (U.U.)
Responsible scientist: Prof. Svante WINBERG
Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Department of Comparative
Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvaegen 18 A, SE-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden
Tel: (46)18-471-26-49
Fax: (46)18-471-26-83
E-Mail: svante.winberg@devbiol.uu.se
Webmaster: Jacques Nicolas