Highlights
- •We analyzed the transcriptome of pupae of the blow fly Calliphora vicina.
- •MACE provided high-resolution gene expression profiles of 15 pupal development stages.
- •53,539 distinct transcripts were detected, 7548 (14.1%) were annotated to known genes.
- •Genes of Interest (GOI) for each of the 15 pupal stages were identified and support molecular age estimation in forensic entomology.
Abstract
Determining a post-mortem interval using the weight or length of blow fly larvae to
calculate the insect's age is well established. However, to date, there are only a
handful studies dealing with age estimation of blow fly pupae, in which weight or
length cannot be used as a relevant parameter. The analysis of genetic markers, which
indicate a certain developmental stage, can extend the period for a successful post-mortem
interval determination. In order to break new ground in the field of age determination
of forensic relevant blow flies, we performed a de novo transcriptome analysis of
Calliphora vicina pupae at 15 different developmental stages. Obtained data serve as base to establish
molecular age determination techniques. We used a new, deeper, and more cost-effective
digital gene expression profiling method called MACE (Massive Analysis of cDNA Ends).
We generated 15 libraries out of 15 developmental stages, with 3–8 million reads per
library. In total, 53,539 distinct transcripts were detected, and 7548 were annotated
to known insect genes. The analysis provides high-resolution gene expression profiles
of all covered transcripts, which were used to identify differentially expressed genetic
markers as candidates for a molecular age estimation of C. vicina pupae. Moreover, the analysis allows insights into gene activity of pupal development
and the relationship between different genes interesting for insect development in
general.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 21, 2014
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© 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.