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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #178938
Title: IDENTIFYING CANDIDATE GENES FOR RAINBOW TROUT ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS AQUACULTURE RESEARCH

Author
item Rexroad, Caird
item Gahr, Scott
item Palti, Yniv

Submitted to: Aquaculture America Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2005
Publication Date: 3/19/2005
Citation: Rexroad III, C.E., Gahr, S.A., Palti, Y. 2005. Identifying candidate genes for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) aquaculture research. Aquaculture America Conference page 362, January 17-20, New Orleans, LA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Candidate gene approaches are often used to identify genes which affect characteristics of interest. In aquaculture research, investigators are often interested in identifying genes associated with production traits such as growth, feed efficiency, stress tolerance, reproduction, and disease resistance. Candidate gene approaches have the goal of maximizing the utility of available information and minimizing the use of laboratory resources (time and reagent expenses) to identify genes of interest. These involve evaluation of information from many sources to select one or few genes on which to focus. Strategies for identifying candidate genes vary with the availability of background information on both the trait and species of interest. The discipline of bioinformatics has greatly increased investigators’ ability: 1) to sift through large amounts of information and/or data to identify only that which is relevant; and 2) to utilize data from highly studied model species in comparative approaches. Online searching of Gene Ontology terms in the Rainbow Trout Gene Index V4.0 reveals a number of candidate sequences associated with biological processes through bioinformatic algorithms. Results were obtained by narrowing the search from “Biological Process” (n=3230), to “physiological process” (2968), to “organismal physiological process” (n=506). Investigators interested in genes affecting immune response would have 80 unique sequences to choose from in addition to 102 which are related to subterms (i.e. cytokine production, humoral immune response, cellular defense response, innate immune response, immune cell activation.)