PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Verena Tams
AU  - Jana Helene Nickel
AU  - Anne Ehring
AU  - Mathilde Cordellier
TI  - Insights into the genetic basis of predator-induced response in <em>Daphnia</em> - a comparative transcriptomic approach
AID  - 10.1101/503904
DP  - 2019 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 503904
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/07/02/503904.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/07/02/503904.full
AB  - Phenotypic plastic responses allow organisms to rapidly adjust to environmental challenges. Although phenotypic plastic responses to predation risk have been reported for the ecological and genomic model organism Daphnia, their genetic basis is not well understood. Here, we characterized the transcriptional profile of Daphnia galeata when exposed to fish kairomones. First, we investigated the differential gene expression, identifying candidate transcripts being involved in shifts of life history traits. A total of 125 differentially expressed transcripts (40 up- and 85 downregulated) were identified. Second, we applied a gene co-expression network analysis to find clusters of tightly linked transcripts and reveal the genetic pathways underlying predator-induced responses. Our results showed that transcripts involved in remodeling of the cuticle, growth and digestion correlated with life history shifts in D. galeata. Furthermore, we compared our results with previous studies on other Daphnia species. This was achieved using an orthology approach on D. magna predator-induced response on the one hand, and reproduction associated genes in D. pulex on the other hand. The unique combination of methods including the comparative approach allowed for the identification of candidate transcripts, their functions and orthologs associated with predator-induced responses in Daphnia.