Genomics and the Future of Brook Trout Management: Transcriptomes, Differential Gene Expression, and Evolutionary Adaptation

Contemporary literature indicates that evolutionary adaptation can be an important way for natural populations to counter rapid environmental change and that predicted colonization patterns and distribution shifts are markedly affected by the inclusion of evolutionary potential.  Brook trout are rich in ecologically and evolutionarily interesting traits having evolved a great variety of life history, developmental, and physiological adaptations in response to a broad range of habitats.  Research is currently underway to achieve comprehensive de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation.  To augment transcriptome assembly, comparative gene expression profiles have been performed via deep sequencing (RNA–Seq) to identify genes exhibiting baseline (control) differential expression in brook trout representing the major life history forms (salter, coaster, and riverine), a broad latitudinal distribution, and a vast elevational differential. In addition to the benefits of knowing the sequences of most coding genes and understanding the scope of functional differences among ecophenotypic variants for brook trout, the community of environmental change researchers striving to limit biodiversity loss will realize a powerful new model system (species) for evaluation.  A better understanding of the extent and rate of adaptation (e.g., changes in physiological/metabolic and immunological systems) is crucial to the responses of biodiversity and ecosystems to environmental change.