By Willa Clore

Faculty Mentor: Dianne Baker

Abstract

This research investigated whether temperature related sex differentiation causes generational differences in the sex ratios in the TU strain of a model organism, Danio rerio. To test this hypothesis, the F1 offspring were collected from adults reared at differing temperatures from 15 days post fertilization (dpf) until 28 dpf. The F1 generation was reared in normal conditions through the sex determining period. Then on day 30, samples were taken for RNA collection from a subsample of fish. Transgenerational effects on sex-determination were assessed by sexing each sample via dissection once the study group had reached two months of age. This was followed by DNA and RNA extractions of each sample to evaluate whether known sex-determining genes were differently expressed using RT-qPCR. This process allowed the sex ratio to be compared to that of the sex ratio of controls, thereby providing information as to the similarities or differences of epigenetic temperature dependence on sex differentiation in the TU strain.