Presentation Title
Resistance to Ranavirus Disease in Tadpoles
Abstract
Once thought to not be present in Vermont, the deadly disease, Ranavirus, has recently been detected in water bodies across the Champlain Basin. This disease has a very high lethality in wood frogs, and could have large impacts on the Champlain ecosystem if not researched properly. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a large component of the immune system, and likely plays a part in tadpole resistance to this virus. Our goal is to determine whether tadpoles that show heterozygosity within this complex display greater resistance to this virus. We predict that tadpoles displaying heterozygosity will increase their survival upon exposure to Ranavirus. To perform this lab, wood frog tadpoles were caught in the Champlain Basin and experimentally exposed to Ranavirus. DNA was then extracted and amplified to analyze their MHC gene structure. While we are still in the process of amplifying the extracted tadpole DNA, the results we might gain from this research could be extremely important in future conservation efforts, both for the frogs and for the entirety of the Champlain ecosystem
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Lori Stevens
Graduate Student Mentors
Lauren Ash
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Lauren Ash (Graduate Student Mentor)
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Second Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Biological Science
Second Program/Major
Spanish
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Resistance to Ranavirus Disease in Tadpoles
Once thought to not be present in Vermont, the deadly disease, Ranavirus, has recently been detected in water bodies across the Champlain Basin. This disease has a very high lethality in wood frogs, and could have large impacts on the Champlain ecosystem if not researched properly. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a large component of the immune system, and likely plays a part in tadpole resistance to this virus. Our goal is to determine whether tadpoles that show heterozygosity within this complex display greater resistance to this virus. We predict that tadpoles displaying heterozygosity will increase their survival upon exposure to Ranavirus. To perform this lab, wood frog tadpoles were caught in the Champlain Basin and experimentally exposed to Ranavirus. DNA was then extracted and amplified to analyze their MHC gene structure. While we are still in the process of amplifying the extracted tadpole DNA, the results we might gain from this research could be extremely important in future conservation efforts, both for the frogs and for the entirety of the Champlain ecosystem