Meeting Abstract

P2-73   -   Investigating the developmental role of twist in tardigrades Wyman, TN*; Smith, FW; University of North Florida; University of North Florida N01392611@unf.edu http://franksmith.domains.unf.edu/

The gene twist regulates myogenesis in a diversity of animals. The protein encoded by this gene is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor. We are interested in whether twist regulates myogenesis in Tardigrada. We identified a single candidate ortholog of twist in the tardigrade species Hypsibius exemplaris and Ramazzottius varieornatus by reciprocal BLAST search. This gene encodes a bHLH domain, like twist orthologs in other species. We confirmed that this gene was an ortholog of twist by phylogenetic analysis. In situ was preformed to determine where twist is expressed in H. exemplaris embryos. We identified an expression domain of twist in the endomesodermal layer of the developing mid-trunk region. This region may represent where muscle cells originate in H. exemplaris. Next, RNA interference experiments targeting twist will be performed to test this hypothesis.