OVERVIEW
To address the challenge to validating gene function experimentally in non-model organisms, such as turtles, we developed the first turtle organoids (Zdyrski et al. 2024) from liver of painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, at various life stages, demonstrating the broad applicability of this technology. Additionally, we developed gene editing, silencing, and overexpression tools to validation of candidate genes in turtles (in preparation).
These organoids and gene modification tools represent new genomics resource for the scientific community to study genome-to-phenome mapping, genomic evolution, to encode directed differentiation, and to annotate genomes with species-specific functional data.
This is an NSF-Funded Project IOS 2127995 - EDGE FGT: Development of Fibroblasts and Organoids as Tools for Functional Genomics in Turtles, Applicable to Other Non-Mammalian Vertebrates.
Outcomes
Zdyrski C, Vojtech G, Gessler TB, Ralston A, Sifuentes-Romero I, Kundu D, Honold, S, Wickham H, Topping N, Sahoo DK, Bista B, Tamplin J, Ospina O, Piñeyro P, Arriaga M, Galan JA, Meyerholz DK, Allenspach K, Mochel JP, and Valenzuela N. 2024. Establishment and Characterization of Turtle Liver Organoids Provides a Potential Model to Decode their Unique Adaptations. Communications Biology, 7 (1): 218. DOI 10.1038/s42003-024-05818-1.