Experiencing short heat waves early in development changes thermal responsiveness of turtle embryos to later heat waves
Data files
Sep 06, 2023 version files 91.47 KB
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Delayed_reaction_study_data1.xlsx
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Delayed_response_study_code.R
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Rapid_response_code.R
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Rapid_response_study_data.xlsx
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README.md
Abstract
Although physiological responses to the thermal environment are most frequently investigated using constant temperatures, the incorporation of thermal variability can allow for a more accurate prediction of how thermally sensitive species respond to a rapidly changing climate. In species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), developmental responses to incubation temperature are mediated by several genes involved in gonadal differentiation. Kdm6b and Dmrt1 respond to cool incubation temperatures and are associated with testis development, while Foxl2 and Cyp19A1 respond to warm incubation temperatures and are associated with ovary development. Using fluctuating incubation temperatures, we designed two studies, one investigating how conflicting thermal cues affect the timing of commitment to gonadal development, and another investigating the rapid molecular responses to conflicting thermal cues in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta). Using gene expression as a proxy of timing of commitment to gonadal fate, results from the first study show that exposure to high amounts of conflicting thermal cues during development delays commitment to gonadal fate. Results from the second study show that Kdm6b splice variants exhibit differential responses to early heat wave exposure, but rapidly (within 2 days) recover to pre-exposure levels after the heat wave. Despite changes in the expression of Kdm6b splice variants, there was no effect on Dmrt1 expression. Collectively, these findings demonstrate how short exposures to heat early in development can change how embryos respond to heat later in development.
README: Experiencing short heat waves early in development changes thermal responsiveness of turtle embryos to later heat waves
Description of the Data and file structure
Each data file (one for each of the two studies) has gene expression values obtained from biological samples from multiple genes. Each data file also has information on the treatment and sampling point of each individual analysed in both studies.
Rapid response study data column headers:
- Egg number: identifies individual T. scripta embryos used in study
- Experiment: shows which gene is being analyzed
- Treatment: shows whether or not individuals were exposed to heat wave
- Stage: shows which embryonic stage individual was sampled at
- Day: shows day of incubation that individual was sampled on
- Gapdh: expression (CT) for house keeping gene
- Dmrt1: expression of Dmrt1 gene
- Kdm6bGe: expression of Kdm6b general (both splicing variants)
- Kdm6bUp3: expression of Kdm6b(-IR)
- Kdm6b(+IR): expression of Kdm6b(+IR)
- DeltaCT: expression of gene of interest minus expression of housekeeping gene
- Normalized: normalized expression following delta delta CT method
- Log: log of normalized expression
Delayed response study column headers:
- Tube: identifies sample tube that cDNA for each sample is stored in
- Sample: identifies the egg number of sampled embryo
- TRT: shows temperature treatment
- Day: shows day of incubation embryo was sampled
- Stage: shows stage of development individual was sampled
- Mean Gapdh CT: mean expression for housekeeping gene
- NDmrt1: normalized Dmrt1 expression
- NCyp19A1: normalized Cyp19A1 expression
- NFoxl2: normalized Foxl2 expression
- NSox9: normalized Sox9 expression
- NKdm6b: normalized Kdm6b(+IR) expression
Each of the R script codes show how we analyzed our data for both experiments and how assumptions of GLMs were checked, as well as how post-hoc comparisons were carried out and how they were adjusted.
Sharing/access Information
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