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Foresi N, De Marco MA, Del Castello F, Ramirez L, Nejamkin A, Calo G, Grimsley N, Correa-Aragunde N, Martínez-Noël GMA. The tiny giant of the sea, Ostreococcus's unique adaptations. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 211:108661. [PMID: 38735153 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Ostreococcus spp. are unicellular organisms with one of the simplest cellular organizations. The sequencing of the genomes of different Ostreococcus species has reinforced this status since Ostreococcus tauri has one most compact nuclear genomes among eukaryotic organisms. Despite this, it has retained a number of genes, setting it apart from other organisms with similar small genomes. Ostreococcus spp. feature a substantial number of selenocysteine-containing proteins, which, due to their higher catalytic activity compared to their selenium-lacking counterparts, may require a reduced quantity of proteins. Notably, O. tauri encodes several ammonium transporter genes, that may provide it with a competitive edge for acquiring nitrogen (N). This characteristic makes it an intriguing model for studying the efficient use of N in eukaryotes. Under conditions of low N availability, O. tauri utilizes N from abundant proteins or amino acids, such as L-arginine, similar to higher plants. However, the presence of a nitric oxide synthase (L-arg substrate) sheds light on a new metabolic pathway for L-arg in algae. The metabolic adaptations of O. tauri to day and night cycles offer valuable insights into carbon and iron metabolic configuration. O. tauri has evolved novel strategies to optimize iron uptake, lacking the classic components of the iron absorption mechanism. Overall, the cellular and genetic characteristics of Ostreococcus contribute to its evolutionary success, making it an excellent model for studying the physiological and genetic aspects of how green algae have adapted to the marine environment. Furthermore, given its potential for lipid accumulation and its marine habitat, it may represent a promising avenue for third-generation biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Foresi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas-UNMdP-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - María Agustina De Marco
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Leonor Ramirez
- Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andres Nejamkin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas-UNMdP-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo Calo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Nigel Grimsley
- CNRS, LBBM, Sorbonne Université OOB, 1 Avenue de Pierre Fabre, 66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Giselle M A Martínez-Noël
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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Demory D, Weitz JS, Baudoux AC, Touzeau S, Simon N, Rabouille S, Sciandra A, Bernard O. A thermal trade-off between viral production and degradation drives virus-phytoplankton population dynamics. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1133-1144. [PMID: 33877734 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Marine viruses interact with microbial hosts in dynamic environments shaped by variation in abiotic factors, including temperature. However, the impacts of temperature on viral infection of phytoplankton are not well understood. Here we coupled mathematical modelling with experiments to explore the effect of temperature on virus-phytoplankton interactions. Our model shows the negative consequences of high temperatures on infection and suggests a temperature-dependent threshold between viral production and degradation. Modelling long-term dynamics in environments with different average temperatures revealed the potential for long-term host-virus coexistence, epidemic free or habitat loss states. We generalised our model to variation in global sea surface temperatures corresponding to present and future seas and show that climate change may differentially influence virus-host dynamics depending on the virus-host pair. Temperature-dependent changes in the infectivity of virus particles may lead to shifts in virus-host habitats in warmer oceans, analogous to projected changes in the habitats of macro-, microorganisms and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Demory
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne-Claire Baudoux
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144 - Ecology of Marine Plankton, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, 29860, France
| | - Suzanne Touzeau
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRIA, INRAE, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, BIOCORE, Sophia Antipolis, 06902, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, INRAE, CNRS, ISA, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Natalie Simon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144 - Ecology of Marine Plankton, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, 29860, France
| | - Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7621 - Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, Banyuls-sur-Mer, 66650, France
| | - Antoine Sciandra
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7093 - Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230, France
| | - Olivier Bernard
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRIA, INRAE, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, BIOCORE, Sophia Antipolis, 06902, France
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3
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Thomy J, Sanchez F, Gut M, Cruz F, Alioto T, Piganeau G, Grimsley N, Yau S. Combining Nanopore and Illumina Sequencing Permits Detailed Analysis of Insertion Mutations and Structural Variations Produced by PEG-Mediated Transformation in Ostreococcus tauri. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030664. [PMID: 33802698 PMCID: PMC8002553 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ostreococcus tauri is a simple unicellular green alga representing an ecologically important group of phytoplankton in oceans worldwide. Modern molecular techniques must be developed in order to understand the mechanisms that permit adaptation of microalgae to their environment. We present for the first time in O. tauri a detailed characterization of individual genomic integration events of foreign DNA of plasmid origin after PEG-mediated transformation. Vector integration occurred randomly at a single locus in the genome and mainly as a single copy. Thus, we confirmed the utility of this technique for insertional mutagenesis. While the mechanism of double-stranded DNA repair in the O. tauri model remains to be elucidated, we clearly demonstrate by genome resequencing that the integration of the vector leads to frequent structural variations (deletions/insertions and duplications) and some chromosomal rearrangements in the genome at the insertion loci. Furthermore, we often observed variations in the vector sequence itself. From these observations, we speculate that a nonhomologous end-joining-like mechanism is employed during random insertion events, as described in plants and other freshwater algal models. PEG-mediated transformation is therefore a promising molecular biology tool, not only for functional genomic studies, but also for biotechnological research in this ecologically important marine alga.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Thomy
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (J.T.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Frederic Sanchez
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (J.T.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (M.G.); (F.C.); (T.A.)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Cruz
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (M.G.); (F.C.); (T.A.)
| | - Tyler Alioto
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (M.G.); (F.C.); (T.A.)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gwenael Piganeau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (J.T.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Nigel Grimsley
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (J.T.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: (N.G.); (S.Y.)
| | - Sheree Yau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France; (J.T.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: (N.G.); (S.Y.)
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4
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Edwards KF, Steward GF, Schvarcz CR. Making sense of virus size and the tradeoffs shaping viral fitness. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:363-373. [PMID: 33146939 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Viruses span an impressive size range, with genome length varying a thousandfold and virion volume nearly a millionfold. For cellular organisms the scaling of traits with size is a pervasive influence on ecological processes, but whether size plays a central role in viral ecology is unknown. Here, we focus on viruses of aquatic unicellular organisms, which exhibit the greatest known range of virus size. We outline hypotheses within a quantitative framework, and analyse data where available, to consider how size affects the primary components of viral fitness. We argue that larger viruses have fewer offspring per infection and slower contact rates with host cells, but a larger genome tends to increase infection efficiency, broaden host range, and potentially increase attachment success and decrease decay rate. These countervailing selective pressures may explain why a breadth of sizes exist and even coexist when infecting the same host populations. Oligotrophic ecosystems may be enriched in "giant" viruses, because environments with resource-limited phagotrophs at low concentrations may select for broader host range, better control of host metabolism, lower decay rate and a physical size that mimics bacterial prey. Finally, we describe where further research is needed to understand the ecology and evolution of viral size diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle F Edwards
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Grieg F Steward
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Sanchez F, Geffroy S, Norest M, Yau S, Moreau H, Grimsley N. Simplified Transformation of Ostreococcus tauri Using Polyethylene Glycol. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E399. [PMID: 31130696 PMCID: PMC6562926 DOI: 10.3390/genes10050399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ostreococcustauri is an easily cultured representative of unicellular algae (class Mamiellophyceae) that abound in oceans worldwide. Eight complete 13-22 Mb genomes of phylogenetically divergent species within this class are available, and their DNA sequences are nearly always present in metagenomic data produced from marine samples. Here we describe a simplified and robust transformation protocol for the smallest of these algae (O. tauri). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment was much more efficient than the previously described electroporation protocol. Short (2 min or less) incubation times in PEG gave >104 transformants per microgram DNA. The time of cell recovery after transformation could be reduced to a few hours, permitting the experiment to be done in a day rather than overnight as used in previous protocols. DNA was randomly inserted in the O. tauri genome. In our hands PEG was 20-40-fold more efficient than electroporation for the transformation of O. tauri, and this improvement will facilitate mutagenesis of all of the dispensable genes present in the tiny O. tauri genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Sanchez
- CNRS UMR7232 BIOM (Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marin) Sorbonne University, 66650 Banyuls sur Mer, France.
| | - Solène Geffroy
- IFREMER, Centre Atlantique, 44331 Nantes CEDEX 03, France.
| | - Manon Norest
- CNRS UMR7232 BIOM (Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marin) Sorbonne University, 66650 Banyuls sur Mer, France.
| | - Sheree Yau
- CNRS UMR7232 BIOM (Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marin) Sorbonne University, 66650 Banyuls sur Mer, France.
| | - Hervé Moreau
- CNRS UMR7232 BIOM (Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marin) Sorbonne University, 66650 Banyuls sur Mer, France.
| | - Nigel Grimsley
- CNRS UMR7232 BIOM (Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marin) Sorbonne University, 66650 Banyuls sur Mer, France.
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