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Lazensky R, Hunter ME, Moraga Amador D, Al-Khedery B, Yu F, Walsh C, Gitzendanner MA, Tripp K, Walsh MT, Denslow ND. Investigating the gene expression profiles of rehabilitated Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) following red tide exposure. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234150. [PMID: 32614830 PMCID: PMC7331979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) mortality event following a red tide bloom in Southwest Florida, an RNA sequencing experiment was conducted. Gene expression changes in white blood cells were assessed in manatees rescued from a red tide affected area (n = 4) and a control group (n = 7) using RNA sequencing. The genes with the largest fold changes were compared between the two groups to identify molecular pathways related to cellular and disease processes. In total, 591 genes (false discovery rate <0.05) were differentially expressed in the red tide group. Of these, 158 were upregulated and 433 were downregulated. This suggests major changes in white blood cell composition following an exposure to red tide. The most highly upregulated gene, Osteoclast associated 2C immunoglobulin-like receptor (OSCAR), was upregulated 12-fold. This gene is involved in initiating the immune response and maintaining a role in adaptive and innate immunity. The most highly downregulated gene, Piccolo presynaptic cytomatrix protein (PCLO), was downregulated by a factor of 977-fold. This gene is associated with cognitive functioning and neurotransmitter release. Downregulation of this gene in other studies was associated with neuronal loss and neuron synapse dysfunction. Among the cellular pathways that were most affected, immune response, including inflammation, wounds and injuries, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were the most predominant. The pathway with the most differentially expressed genes was the immune response pathway with 98 genes involved, many of them downregulated. Assessing the changes in gene expression associated with red tide exposure enhances our understanding of manatee immune response to the red tide toxins and will aid in the development of red tide biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Lazensky
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Aquatic Animal Health Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Margaret E. Hunter
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Sirenia Project, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - David Moraga Amador
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Basima Al-Khedery
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Fahong Yu
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Cathy Walsh
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
| | - Matthew A. Gitzendanner
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Katie Tripp
- Save the Manatee Club, Maitland, Florida, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Walsh
- Aquatic Animal Health Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NDD); (MTW)
| | - Nancy D. Denslow
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NDD); (MTW)
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