Current Research

Gila Trout Innate Immune System

This research is funded by NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology

In Short

Identification and annotation of key innate immune genes within the Gila trout genome
Estimating strength of selection on innate immune genes across Gila trout lineages
Identification of immunological responses of Gila trout to immune stimulation

How does the loss of genetic diversity within the immune system, which allows organisms to fight off disease, affects species survival?

The Gila trout, (Oncorhynchus gilae) is a threatened fish species that has undergone numerous events leading to significant loss of genetic diversity within its populations. Diversity loss has impacted the major histocompatibility locus of the Gila trout, potentially reducing its ability to respond to pathogens via classical adaptive immune responses. Using the Gila trout genome, tissue archives, and gene sequence libraries the diversity of innate immune gene families will be identified, annotated, and evaluated to understand if innate immunity may compensate for reduced adaptive immune capabilities. This will also be used to establish how these immune genes are evolving, and the effects of selection acting upon them. Immune challenge experiments will quantify the magnitude of the overall immune response in Gila trout and the role of innate immune receptors in this species during infection.

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