Genomic approaches in
Aquaculture Research
Steven Roberts
Assistant Professor
Friday, May 15, 2009

Overview
Big Fish
Myostatin Regulation
Better Shellfish
Disease Resistance
Bad Bugs
Pathogen Virulence
Friday, May 15, 2009

Myostatin
Friday, May 15, 2009

Does myostatin function in a
similar manner in fish as it
does in mammals?
=
Friday, May 15, 2009

Approach
Identify molecules MSTN (mature peptide)
that will decrease
biological activity LAP
Friday, May 15, 2009

Identification of Myostatin
Interacting Proteins
Approach: Yeast two hybrid system
Friday, May 15, 2009

Results
Yeast-two-Hybrid LAP
1. Telethonin
2.
Friday, May 15, 2009

Future Work
• Co-IP targets identified with Y2H
• Sequence proteins from muscle extract captured
via co-IP
• Primary muscle culture experiments
• Large scale recombinant protein expression and
expose juvenile fish
Friday, May 15, 2009

Acknowledgements
FUNDING
This project is supported by National Research
Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2005-35206-15261
from the USDA Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service.
Technical Assistance
Christina Holmes
Sam White
Friday, May 15, 2009

Overview
Big Fish
Myostatin Regulation
Better Shellfish Oysters
Disease Resistance Abalone
Bad Bugs
Pathogen Virulence
Friday, May 15, 2009

Disease MVineyard ?
Resistance flickr | cpurrin1
Crassostrea virginica
Roxannna Smolowitz
Rick Karney
Friday, May 15, 2009

•Mortality
•Disease
•Immune Response
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C. virginica
Friday, May 15, 2009

Abalone
Friday, May 15, 2009

Naive
Disease Pressure
Glenn VanBlaricom, Carolyn Friedman
Friday, May 15, 2009

Carolyn Friedman
Friday, May 15, 2009

H. cracherodii
Friday, May 15, 2009

H. cracherodii
Friday, May 15, 2009

Summary
• Just as with oysters, processes of
natural selection have resulted in
populations with increased tolerance.
• Important mechanisms involved in the
immune response to WS are
associated with initial pathogen
recognition.
Friday, May 15, 2009

Overview
Big Fish
Myostatin Regulation
Better Shellfish
Disease Resistance
Bad Bugs Vibrio
Pathogen Virulence tubiashii
Friday, May 15, 2009

How do changes in the environment
influence Vibrio tubiashii physiology?
Friday, May 15, 2009

Approach - Protein Expression
Protein Extraction
2D gels
ID differences
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Differential Expression
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GO Annotations biosynthesis
Chart 6
response to endogenous stimulus
transport
ion transport
signal transduction
Control
cell communication
transcription
protein metabolism
cell cycle
carbohydrate metabolism
protein biosynthesis
cell organization and biogenesis
response to external stimulus
amino acid and derivative metabolism
morphogenesis
protein modification
generation of precursor metabolites and energy
death
response to abiotic stimulus
Low Oxygen
cell death
cell differentiation
cell homeostasis
nucleic acid metabolism
secondary metabolism
catabolism
lipid metabolism
DNA metabolism
response to stress
0 0.025 0.050 0.075 0.100
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V. tubiashii
Friday, May 15, 2009
V. tubiashii +
live oysters
V. tubiashii +
sterile oysters
Oysters

pI MW
3.7 29k
4.5 49k
MW
4.8 26k
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Vibrio tubiashii
226 million bp
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Future Direction
• Comparative microbial analysis to
determine species specific responses to
environmental change
• Coordinate with experimental and
environmental sampling - relevance
• Characterize the host response in relation
to pathogen physiology
Friday, May 15, 2009

Thank you
for more information
fish.washington.edu/genefish
sr320@washington.edu
Friday, May 15, 2009