We document the sequencing of 14,502 EST's derived from a Laupala kohalensis nerve cord cDNA library. From these 14,502 sequences, 8,607 unique sequences were identified. Just over 60% of the unique sequences, 5,225, had a predicted protein sequence significantly similar to a sequence in a non-redundant protein database. Of these, Gene Ontology terms could be assigned to 408 of the putative proteins. This resource was developed to address fundamental questions of biological interest. Our interests lie in identifying genes that contribute to the diversification of male song pulse rate and, by extension, speciation within the Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala. The release of this resource, however, has a much broader impact than that prescribed by our interests. Neuroethologists studying the construction and function of CPG neural circuits in insects have lamented the lack of available genetic tools necessary to study these vital neurobiological phenotypes. The release of the Laupala Gene Index contributes to meeting this need. Likewise, evolutionary biologists have lacked diverse systems with which fundamental evolutionary processes might be addressed at the genomic scale. Empirical data can be collected using the Laupala resource to examine the evolution of gene expression during the speciation process. Finally, the release of this Gene Index begins to rectify an extreme phylogenetic bias in the availability of genomic resources in insects and will facilitate comparative studies of molecular evolution across 350 MY of arthropod evolution.
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