PHILLIPS, M.P.*; FIELMAN, K.; SHIN, D.; TAINER, J.; CARY, C.; MARSH, A.; BERGLUND, A.; JOHNSON, E.A.; University of Oregon, Eugene; University of Delaware, Newark; The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla; The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla; University of Delaware, Newark; University of Delaware, Newark; Univerisity of Oregon, Eugene; University of Oregon, Eugene: cDNA Microarrays Reveal Differential Gene Expression in the Deep-Sea Eurythermal Polychaete, Alvinella pompejana

The �Pompeii worm,� Alvinella pompejana, is thought to be one of the most eurythermal eukaryotes known, and lives in an environment characterized by high temperature, high hydrogen sulfide concentration, low oxygen and high pressure. These worms spend much of their time in tubes built on the sides of deep-sea hydrothermal vents, which conceivably creates a steep gradient of environmental conditions between the posterior end of the worm, nearest to where the worm tube abuts the vent, and the anterior end of the worm, which is exposed to the ambient temperature of the surrounding seawater. We hypothesize that there are differences in gene expression between the anterior and posterior of the worm due to this environmental gradient. To test this, we have constructed microarrays of more than 5000 cDNAs and our preliminary results suggest that there is differential transcript abundance in the anterior versus the posterior of the worm. Interestingly, we found high levels of Heat Shock Protein 90 and other chaperone proteins in the posterior. This suggests that the posterior of Alvinella pompejana does experience high temperatures. In addition, we have also determined that the environmental context within which the worms were collected may also affect gene expression. We are currently characterizing tissue and developmental stage-specific gene expression of worms from vents at different temperatures to understand how programs of gene activity may provide protection from this extreme environment.