Meeting Abstract

P1-84   -   Comparison of sex specific gene expression in Xenopus laryngeal muscle Paulis, D; Velosa, A; Zornik, E; Ryba, T; Leininger, E*; New College of Florida; New College of Florida; Reed College; New College of Florida; New College of Florida eleininger@ncf.edu

Genomic and transcriptomic studies can illuminate the molecular underpinnings of physiological and behavioral phenotypes. In this study we used a transcriptomics-based approach to better understand molecular mechanisms of vocal communication. Xenopus frogs exhibit sexually dimorphic laryngeal morphology and physiology that generate sex-specific vocaliations. We hypothesized that, across two Xenopus species, sexually dimorphic characteristics may be reflected in overlapping differentially expressed genes and gene networks. Using RNAseq, we analyzed levels of gene expression in Xenopus laevis and Silurana tropicalis male and female laryngeal muscle (n=5 of each sex and species) and found some commonalities in differentially expressed genes. We found that there was one gene highly upregulated in males of both species - Growth Regulating Estrogen Receptor Binding 1 (GREB1). We also conducted pathway analysis through Reactome, identifying several enriched pathways relating to cell energetics and signal transduction. Muscle transcriptome analyses can help us relate differences in gene expression to sexually dimorphic physiology in these frogs and more broadly can be applied to future genomic studies. Future work will continue to examine genes of interest as well as the molecular basis of species-specific vocalizations with the aim of expanding our knowledge of neuromuscular networks.