Characterization of epigenetic changes in Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana tissues during natural and induced thyroid hormone-dependent metamorphosis using mass spectrometry
| dc.contributor.author | Kuecks-Winger, Haley Noah | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Helbing, Caren C. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-12-23T21:53:57Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-12-23T21:53:57Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.degree.department | Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology | |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Science MSc | |
| dc.description.abstract | Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling is critical for proper development, growth and metabolism in all vertebrates. Amphibian metamorphosis is a TH-dependent developmental process that requires coordinated physical and biochemical changes to facilitate the transition from a tadpole to a frog. Metamorphosis involves extensive tissue-specific changes in the gene expression of differentiated tissues. Rana catesbeiana (American bullfrog) metamorphosis can be precociously induced by treatment with exogenous TH. However, metamorphosis is temperature-dependent and does not proceed at 5°C even in the presence of TH. Remarkably, a subsequent shift to permissive temperatures (24°C) results in an accelerated metamorphosis, implying that TH establishes a molecular memory at 5°C. Previous studies suggest that epigenetic processes, including histone variant incorporation and post-translational modifications, are involved in TH-signalling during natural metamorphosis and during temperature-modulated, TH-induced metamorphosis. Herein, we use mass spectrometry to characterize the histone composition of R. catesbeiana blood, liver, and tailfin during natural and temperature-modulated induced metamorphosis. The natural metamorphosis model identified tissue- and developmental stage-specific changes in histone abundance and PTMs. The temperature-modulated TH-induced metamorphic model demonstrated temperature- and tissue-specific changes in the abundance and PTMs of histones and other chromatin-binding proteins. To our knowledge, this represents the first unbiased analysis of the chromatin-associated proteins during amphibian metamorphosis. The findings presented herein expand our understanding of putative epigenetic factors involved in regulating TH-dependent development, which has broad relevance to all vertebrate species due to the conserved nature of TH action. | |
| dc.description.embargo | 2025-12-10 | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/20889 | |
| dc.language | English | eng |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | |
| dc.title | Characterization of epigenetic changes in Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana tissues during natural and induced thyroid hormone-dependent metamorphosis using mass spectrometry | |
| dc.type | Thesis |