James J. McGivern

Area of research

Genetics · Global and Planetary Change

Research interest

Research topics from publications: Linking the transcriptome and proteome to characterize the venom of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus); Quantity, Not Quality: Rapid Adaptation in a Polygenic Trait Proceeded Exclusively through Expression Differentiation; The transcriptomic and proteomic basis for the evolution of a novel venom phenotype within the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus); RNA-seq and high-definition mass spectrometry reveal the complex and divergent venoms of two rear-fanged colubrid snakes; Contrasting Modes and Tempos of Venom Expression Evolution in Two Snake Species; Phenotypic integration in the feeding system of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus); Expression Differentiation Is Constrained to Low-Expression Proteins over Ecological Timescales; Gradual and Discrete Ontogenetic Shifts in Rattlesnake Venom Composition and Assessment of Hormonal and Ecological Correlates. Representative work: A trait's genomic architecture can affect the rate and mechanism of adaptation, and although many ecologically-important traits are polygenic, most studies connecting genotype, phenotype, and fitness in natural populations have focused on traits with relatively simple genetic bases. To understand the genetic basis of polygenic adaptation, we must integrate genomics, phenotypic data, ecology, and fitness effects for a genetically tractable, polygenic trait; snake venoms provide such a system for studying polygenic adaptation because of their genetic tractability and vital ecological role in feeding and defense. We used a venom transcriptome-proteome map, quantitative proteomics, genomics, and BACKGROUND: Largely because of their direct, negative impacts on human health, the venoms of front-fanged snakes of the families Viperidae and Elapidae have been extensively characterized proteomically, transcriptomically, and pharmacologically. However, relatively little is known about the molecular complexity and evolution of the venoms of rear-fanged colubrid snakes, which are, with a few notable exceptions, regarded as harmless to humans. Many of these snakes have venoms with major effects on their preferred prey, and their venoms are probably as critical to their survival as those of front-fanged elapids and viperids. RESULTS: We sequenced the venom-gland transcriptomes from a specimen

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