Meeting Abstract

P1.170  Friday, Jan. 4  Trends in Ecological Microarray Studies ALVAREZ, MF*; SCHREY, AW; RICHARDS, CL; University of South Florida; Armstrong Atlantic State University; University of South Florida malvare2@mail.usf.edu

Quantification of gene expression on a genome-wide scale can be used to address important questions in ecology and evolution. The regulation of gene expression is directly relevant to ecology because it allows organisms to alter phenotype in response to environmental cues, even in the absence of genetic variation. Because differential gene expression can be labile and responsive to environment, it may drive adaptation and divergence, underlie phenotypic plasticity, and can be used to infer organismal response to a specific event, such as pollution response. Microarrays have become a common tool to quantify gene expression in ecological genomics due to their familiar analysis (ANOVA) and expansive background literature. To assess current trends in microarray studies, we reviewed over fifty ecological microarray studies. We found that many studies have made substantial progress in elucidating the relationship between altered gene expression and adaptation. However, other areas, such as plasticity, remain understudied, despite increasing access to microarray platforms. We also discuss two important design elements that have received attention: the use of sample pooling and heterologous arrays. We summarize the pros and cons of different approaches and make recommendations on the appropriate usage of these methods in ecological settings. We also discuss the persistent problem of expression localization within specific tissues and across time, and suggest methods to minimize the impact of unwanted expression differences due to localization. We conclude with the hope that gene expression can continue to add insight into evolutionary mechanisms as ecologists become more familiar with the technology.