Dissertation defence (Biology): MSc Freed Ahmad
Time
5.5.2023 at 12.00 - 16.00
MSc Freed Ahmad defends his dissertation in Biology entitled “Host-Parasite Genomics And Ecology: Linking Genes And Tranomes To Disease And Contemporary Selection” at the University of Turku on 5 May 2023 at 12.00pm (University of Turku, Main Building, Tauno Nurmela lecture hall, Turku).
Opponent: Senior Research Fellow Jason W. Holland (University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom)
Custos: Professor Veijo Jormalainen (University of Turku)
Digital copy of the dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-9233-1 (copy the link to the browser).
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Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
Advances in DNA sequencing technologies has enabled ecologists and evolutionary biologists to endeavour research areas that were not feasible a few decades ago. In this dissertation, we applied double digest restriction-associated DNA and RNA sequencing to study a host-parasite system of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) infected with a myxozoan parasite, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which causes an emerging temperature-dependent proliferative kidney disease (PKD). The parasite infects the kidney and spleen of juvenile fish, and at elevated temperatures, causes strong inflammatory response, anaemia and kidney swollenness.
In this thesis, we have performed one of the first association mapping analysis on the PKD resistance and tolerance in a natural population of brown trout. We also have generated an annotated assembly of the parasite transcriptome. Furthermore, we have combined transcriptomics with genetic mark-recapture and classical regression-based selection analysis to demonstrate the effect of temperature-driven parasite- induced contemporary natural selection on transcript abundance and co-regulated gene networks. We have reported several promising candidate genes involved in PKD resistance and severity in brown trout, identified four novel protein drug targets, and showed that the myxozoan parasite induces massive cell proliferation in the fish host. Lastly, we also discovered many transcripts exhibiting widespread signal of disruptive selection, related to host immune defence, host-pathogen interactions, cellular repair and maintenance. Altogether, this thesis explores multiple levels of biological complexities and represents a significant step forward towards understanding the molecular basis of PKD and contemporary natural selection.
Opponent: Senior Research Fellow Jason W. Holland (University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom)
Custos: Professor Veijo Jormalainen (University of Turku)
Digital copy of the dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-9233-1 (copy the link to the browser).
***
Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
Advances in DNA sequencing technologies has enabled ecologists and evolutionary biologists to endeavour research areas that were not feasible a few decades ago. In this dissertation, we applied double digest restriction-associated DNA and RNA sequencing to study a host-parasite system of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) infected with a myxozoan parasite, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which causes an emerging temperature-dependent proliferative kidney disease (PKD). The parasite infects the kidney and spleen of juvenile fish, and at elevated temperatures, causes strong inflammatory response, anaemia and kidney swollenness.
In this thesis, we have performed one of the first association mapping analysis on the PKD resistance and tolerance in a natural population of brown trout. We also have generated an annotated assembly of the parasite transcriptome. Furthermore, we have combined transcriptomics with genetic mark-recapture and classical regression-based selection analysis to demonstrate the effect of temperature-driven parasite- induced contemporary natural selection on transcript abundance and co-regulated gene networks. We have reported several promising candidate genes involved in PKD resistance and severity in brown trout, identified four novel protein drug targets, and showed that the myxozoan parasite induces massive cell proliferation in the fish host. Lastly, we also discovered many transcripts exhibiting widespread signal of disruptive selection, related to host immune defence, host-pathogen interactions, cellular repair and maintenance. Altogether, this thesis explores multiple levels of biological complexities and represents a significant step forward towards understanding the molecular basis of PKD and contemporary natural selection.
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