Sea Lamprey transcriptomic response to copper

Copper is a common aquatic toxicant that is known to impair the olfactory system in fish. Sea lamprey, a species of conservation concern in its native areas of Europe and a detrimental invasive species in North America, rely on olfactory cues to migrate to natal streams and initiate spawning. Manipulating these olfactory-mediated behaviors is a critical component of the conservation and management of this species; however, anthropogenic inputs of copper to aquatic habitats have the potential to impede these efforts. To identify the transcriptomic mechanisms of copper-induced olfactory impairment we assay the whole transcriptome of olfactory tissue in lamprey exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of copper.