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Audoor S, Bilcke G, Pargana K, Belišová D, Thierens S, Van Bel M, Sterck L, Rijsdijk N, Annunziata R, Ferrante MI, Vandepoele K, Vyverman W. Transcriptional chronology reveals conserved genes involved in pennate diatom sexual reproduction. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17320. [PMID: 38506152 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is a major driver of adaptation and speciation in eukaryotes. In diatoms, siliceous microalgae with a unique cell size reduction-restitution life cycle and among the world's most prolific primary producers, sex also acts as the main mechanism for cell size restoration through the formation of an expanding auxospore. However, the molecular regulators of the different stages of sexual reproduction and size restoration are poorly explored. Here, we combined RNA sequencing with the assembly of a 55 Mbp reference genome for Cylindrotheca closterium to identify patterns of gene expression during different stages of sexual reproduction. These were compared with a corresponding transcriptomic time series of Seminavis robusta to assess the degree of expression conservation. Integrative orthology analysis revealed 138 one-to-one orthologues that are upregulated during sex in both species, among which 56 genes consistently upregulated during cell pairing and gametogenesis, and 11 genes induced when auxospores are present. Several early, sex-specific transcription factors and B-type cyclins were also upregulated during sex in other pennate and centric diatoms, pointing towards a conserved core regulatory machinery for meiosis and gametogenesis across diatoms. Furthermore, we find molecular evidence that the pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest is short-lived in benthic diatoms, which may be linked to their active mode of mate finding through gliding. Finally, we exploit the temporal resolution of our comparative analysis to report the first marker genes for auxospore identity called AAE1-3 ("Auxospore-Associated Expression"). Altogether, we introduce a multi-species model of the transcriptional dynamics during size restoration in diatoms and highlight conserved gene expression dynamics during different stages of sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien Audoor
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gust Bilcke
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katerina Pargana
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Darja Belišová
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sander Thierens
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michiel Van Bel
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Sterck
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nadine Rijsdijk
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- Associate to the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, Trieste, Italy
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for AI & Computational Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Ruggiero MV, Buffoli M, Wolf KKE, D'Alelio D, Di Tuccio V, Lombardi E, Manfellotto F, Vitale L, Margiotta F, Sarno D, John U, Ferrante MI, Montresor M. Multiannual patterns of genetic structure and mating type ratios highlight the complex bloom dynamics of a marine planktonic diatom. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6028. [PMID: 38472358 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56292-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genetic structure of populations and the processes responsible for its spatial and temporal dynamics is vital for assessing species' adaptability and survival in changing environments. We investigate the genetic fingerprinting of blooming populations of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata in the Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean Sea) from 2008 to 2020. Strains were genotyped using microsatellite fingerprinting and natural samples were also analysed with Microsatellite Pool-seq Barcoding based on Illumina sequencing of microsatellite loci. Both approaches revealed a clonal expansion event in 2013 and a more stable genetic structure during 2017-2020 compared to previous years. The identification of a mating type (MT) determination gene allowed to assign MT to strains isolated over the years. MTs were generally at equilibrium with two notable exceptions, including the clonal bloom of 2013. The populations exhibited linkage equilibrium in most blooms, indicating that sexual reproduction leads to genetic homogenization. Our findings show that P. multistriata blooms exhibit a dynamic genetic and demographic composition over time, most probably determined by deeper-layer cell inocula. Occasional clonal expansions and MT imbalances can potentially affect the persistence and ecological success of planktonic diatoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Buffoli
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Klara K E Wolf
- Institut für Marine Ökosystem- und Fischereiwissenschaften, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Limnological Institute, Environmental Genomics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Domenico D'Alelio
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Viviana Di Tuccio
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Ernestina Lombardi
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Manfellotto
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Vitale
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Margiotta
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Diana Sarno
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Uwe John
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- Oceanography Section, National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marina Montresor
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
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3
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Santin A, Russo MT, de Los Ríos LM, Chiurazzi M, d'Alcalà MR, Lacombe B, Ferrante MI, Rogato A. The tonoplast localized protein PtNPF1 participates in the regulation of nitrogen response in diatoms. New Phytol 2024; 241:1592-1604. [PMID: 38084038 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Diatoms are a highly successful group of phytoplankton, well adapted also to oligotrophic environments and capable of handling nutrient fluctuations in the ocean, particularly nitrate. The presence of a large vacuole is an important trait contributing to their adaptive features. It confers diatoms the ability to accumulate and store nutrients, such as nitrate, when they are abundant outside and then to reallocate them into the cytosol to meet deficiencies, in a process called luxury uptake. The molecular mechanisms that regulate these nitrate fluxes are still not known in diatoms. In this work, we provide new insights into the function of Phaeodactylum tricornutum NPF1, a putative low-affinity nitrate transporter. To accomplish this, we generated overexpressing strains and CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function mutants. Microscopy observations confirmed predictions that PtNPF1 is localized on the vacuole membrane. Furthermore, functional characterizations performed on knock-out mutants revealed a transient growth delay phenotype linked to altered nitrate uptake. Together, these results allowed us to hypothesize that PtNPF1 is presumably involved in modulating intracellular nitrogen fluxes, managing intracellular nutrient availability. This ability might allow diatoms to fine-tune the assimilation, storage and reallocation of nitrate, conferring them a strong advantage in oligotrophic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Santin
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | | | - Laura Morales de Los Ríos
- Institute for Plant Science of Montpellier (IPSiM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier SupAgro, Place Pierre Viala 2, Montpellier, 34060, France
| | - Maurizio Chiurazzi
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | | | - Benoît Lacombe
- Institute for Plant Science of Montpellier (IPSiM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier SupAgro, Place Pierre Viala 2, Montpellier, 34060, France
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, Trieste, 34010, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rogato
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, Naples, 80131, Italy
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4
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Ferrante MI, Broccoli A, Montresor M. The pennate diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata as a model for diatom life cycles, from the laboratory to the sea. J Phycol 2023; 59:637-643. [PMID: 37256710 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton dynamics are regulated by external cues, such as light and nutrients, as well as by biotic interactions and endogenous controls linked to life cycle characteristics. The planktonic pennate diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, with a heterothallic mating system with two opposite mating types (MTs), represents a model for the study of diatom life cycles. P. multistriata is a toxic species, able to produce the neurotoxin domoic acid. First described in Japan in 1993, it was detected at the long-term monitoring station MareChiara (Gulf of Naples, Italy) in 1995. Since then, P. multistriata has been reported from several worldwide coastal sites. A large body of knowledge has been produced on its ecology, genetic diversity, and life cycle characteristics. The availability of these data, the ecological relevance of the Pseudo-nitzschia genus, and its controllable life cycle with a short generation time made it an ideal species to develop a genetic model system for diatoms. To enable functional studies, a 59 Mb genome sequence and several transcriptomic data were produced, and genetic transformation was optimized. These tools allowed the discovery of the first mating-type determining gene for diatoms. Gene expression studies and metabolomics analyses defined genes and molecules underpinning different phases of the process of sexual reproduction. This model system, developed to explore the genetics of diatom life cycles, offers the opportunity to parallel experimental observations in the laboratory using in situ meta-omics analyses along space and time, empowering knowledge on the biology and ecology of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, Trieste, Italy
| | - Andrea Broccoli
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Montresor
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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5
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Russo MT, Santin A, Zuccarotto A, Leone S, Palumbo A, Ferrante MI, Castellano I. The first genetic engineered system for ovothiol biosynthesis in diatoms reveals a mitochondrial localization for the sulfoxide synthase OvoA. Open Biol 2023; 13:220309. [PMID: 36722300 PMCID: PMC9890322 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Diatoms represent one of the most abundant groups of microalgae in the ocean and are responsible for approximately 20% of photosynthetically fixed CO2 on Earth. Due to their complex evolutionary history and ability to adapt to different environments, diatoms are endowed with striking molecular biodiversity and unique metabolic activities. Their high growth rate and the possibility to optimize their biomass make them very promising 'biofactories' for biotechnological applications. Among bioactive compounds, diatoms can produce ovothiols, histidine-derivatives, endowed with unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and occurring in many marine invertebrates, bacteria and pathogenic protozoa. However, the functional role of ovothiols biosynthesis in organisms remains almost unexplored. In this work, we have characterized the thiol fraction of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, providing the first evidence of the presence of ovothiol B in pennate diatoms. We have used P. tricornutum to overexpress the 5-histidylcysteine sulfoxide synthase ovoA, the gene encoding the key enzyme involved in ovothiol biosynthesis and we have discovered that OvoA localizes in the mitochondria, a finding that uncovers new concepts in cellular redox biochemistry. We have also obtained engineered biolistic clones that can produce higher amount of ovothiol B compared to wild-type cells, suggesting a new strategy for the eco-sustainable production of these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monia Teresa Russo
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Santin
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Zuccarotto
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Leone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Palumbo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Immacolata Castellano
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
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6
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Annunziata R, Mele BH, Marotta P, Volpe M, Entrambasaguas L, Mager S, Stec K, d’Alcalà MR, Sanges R, Finazzi G, Iudicone D, Montresor M, Ferrante MI. Trade-off between sex and growth in diatoms: Molecular mechanisms and demographic implications. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabj9466. [PMID: 35044817 PMCID: PMC8769554 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Diatoms are fast-growing and winning competitors in aquatic environments, possibly due to optimized growth performance. However, their life cycles are complex, heteromorphic, and not fully understood. Here, we report on the fine control of cell growth and physiology during the sexual phase of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. We found that mating, under nutrient replete conditions, induces a prolonged growth arrest in parental cells. Transcriptomic analyses revealed down-regulation of genes related to major metabolic functions from the early phases of mating. Single-cell photophysiology also pinpointed an inhibition of photosynthesis and storage lipids accumulated in the arrested population, especially in gametes and zygotes. Numerical simulations revealed that growth arrest affects the balance between parental cells and their siblings, possibly favoring the new generation. Thus, in addition to resources availability, life cycle traits contribute to shaping the species ecological niches and must be considered to describe and understand the structure of plankton communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Annunziata
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
- Corresponding author. (R.A.); (M.I.F.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Remo Sanges
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, Trieste 34136, Italy
| | - Giovanni Finazzi
- Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Centre National Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat Energie Atomique, Energies Alternatives (CEA), Institut National Recherche Agriculture, Alimentation, Environnement (INRAE), Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, IRIG-Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Grenoble, France
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7
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Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system coupled with proteolistics is a DNA-free nuclear transformation method based on the introduction of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes into cells. The method has been set up for diatoms as an alternative to genetic transformation via biolistics and has the advantages of reducing off-target mutations, limiting the working time of the Cas9 endonuclease, and overcoming the occurrence of random insertions of the transgene in the genome. We present a point-by-point description of the protocol with modifications that make it more cost-effective, by reducing the amount of the enzyme while maintaining a comparable efficiency to the original protocol, and with an increased concentration of the selective drug which allows to reduce false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monia Teresa Russo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
| | - Anna Santin
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rogato
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Naples, Italy
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8
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Sabatino V, Orefice I, Marotta P, Ambrosino L, Chiusano ML, d'Ippolito G, Romano G, Fontana A, Ferrante MI. Silencing of a Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis lipoxygenase transcript leads to reduced oxylipin production and impaired growth. New Phytol 2022; 233:809-822. [PMID: 34533849 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Because of their importance as chemical mediators, the presence of a rich and varied family of lipoxygenase (LOX) products, collectively named oxylipins, has been investigated thoroughly in diatoms, and the involvement of these products in important processes such as bloom regulation has been postulated. Nevertheless, little information is available on the enzymes and pathways operating in these protists. Exploiting transcriptome data, we identified and characterized a LOX gene, PaLOX, in Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis, a marine diatom known to produce different species of oxylipins by stereo- and regio-selective oxidation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) at C12 and C15. PaLOX RNA interference correlated with a decrease of the lipid-peroxidizing activity and oxylipin synthesis, as well as with a reduction of growth of P. arenysensis. In addition, sequence analysis and structure models of the C-terminal part of the predicted protein closely fitted with the data for established LOXs from other organisms. The presence in the genome of a single LOX gene, whose downregulation impairs both 12- and 15-oxylipins synthesis, together with the in silico 3D protein modelling suggest that PaLOX encodes for a 12/15S-LOX with a dual specificity, and provides additional support to the correlation between cell growth and oxylipin biosynthesis in diatoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Sabatino
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Ida Orefice
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Pina Marotta
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Luca Ambrosino
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Chiusano
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
- Department of Agriculture, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, 80055, Italy
| | - Giuliana d'Ippolito
- Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli - Naples, I-80078, Italy
| | - Giovanna Romano
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Angelo Fontana
- Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli - Naples, I-80078, Italy
- Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Via Cupa Nuova Cinthia 21, Napoli, 80126, Italy
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9
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Santin A, Russo MT, Ferrante MI, Balzano S, Orefice I, Sardo A. Highly Valuable Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Microalgae: Strategies to Improve Their Yields and Their Potential Exploitation in Aquaculture. Molecules 2021; 26:7697. [PMID: 34946780 PMCID: PMC8707597 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microalgae have a great potential for the production of healthy food and feed supplements. Their ability to convert carbon into high-value compounds and to be cultured in large scale without interfering with crop cultivation makes these photosynthetic microorganisms promising for the sustainable production of lipids. In particular, microalgae represent an alternative source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), whose consumption is related to various health benefits for humans and animals. In recent years, several strategies to improve PUFAs' production in microalgae have been investigated. Such strategies include selecting the best performing species and strains and the optimization of culturing conditions, with special emphasis on the different cultivation systems and the effect of different abiotic factors on PUFAs' accumulation in microalgae. Moreover, developments and results obtained through the most modern genetic and metabolic engineering techniques are described, focusing on the strategies that lead to an increased lipid production or an altered PUFAs' profile. Additionally, we provide an overview of biotechnological applications of PUFAs derived from microalgae as safe and sustainable organisms, such as aquafeed and food ingredients, and of the main techniques (and their related issues) for PUFAs' extraction and purification from microalgal biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Santin
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
| | - Monia Teresa Russo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
| | - Sergio Balzano
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Netherland Institute for Sea Research, Landsdiep 4, 1793 AB Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Ida Orefice
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
| | - Angela Sardo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (A.S.); (M.T.R.); (S.B.); (I.O.)
- Istituto di Scienze Applicate e Sistemi Intelligenti “Eduardo Caianiello”, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
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10
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Santin A, Caputi L, Longo A, Chiurazzi M, Ribera d'Alcalà M, Russo MT, Ferrante MI, Rogato A. Integrative omics identification, evolutionary and structural analysis of low affinity nitrate transporters in diatoms, diNPFs. Open Biol 2021; 11:200395. [PMID: 33823659 PMCID: PMC8025304 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Diatoms are one of the major and most diverse groups of phytoplankton, with chimeric genomes harbouring a combination of genes of bacterial, animal and plant origin. They have developed sophisticated mechanisms to face environmental variations. In marine environments, nutrients concentration shows significant temporal and spatial variability, influencing phytoplankton growth. Among nutrients, nitrogen, present at micromolar levels, is often a limiting resource. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization of the Nitrate Transporter 1/Peptide Transporter Family (NPF) in diatoms, diNPFs. NPFs are well characterized in many organisms where they recognize a broad range of substrates, ranging from short-chained di- and tri-peptides in bacteria, fungi and mammals to a wide variety of molecules including nitrate in higher plants. Scarce information is available for diNPFs. We integrated-omics, phylogenetic, structural and expression analyses, to infer information on their role in diatoms. diNPF genes diverged to produce two distinct clades with strong sequence and structural homology with either bacterial or plant NPFs, with different predicted sub-cellular localization, suggesting that the divergence resulted in functional diversification. Moreover, transcription analysis of diNPF genes under different laboratory and environmental growth conditions suggests that diNPF diversification led to genetic adaptations that might contribute to diatoms ability to flourish in diverse environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Santin
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Caputi
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Longo
- BioDiscovery Institute, Denton, TX, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Maurizio Chiurazzi
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alessandra Rogato
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.,Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
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11
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Russo MT, Ruggiero MV, Manfellotto F, Scriven V, Campbell L, Montresor M, Ferrante MI. New alleles in the mating type determination region of West Atlantic strains of Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. Harmful Algae 2021; 103:101995. [PMID: 33980435 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2021.101995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The cosmopolitan, species-rich diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia represents a good system for the study of speciation, evolution and diversity. Understanding elements linked to population dynamics and life cycle regulation for these species is of particular importance in view of their ability to produce the toxin domoic acid and cause harmful blooms. Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, one of the toxic species that represents a model for the study of life cycle related questions, is the only diatom for which a sex determination mechanism has been described. Populations in the Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean Sea), can share four different allelic variants (A, M, B, N) of the mating type determination region, and one of them (A) is responsible for the determination of the mating type + (MT+), defined by the MT+ restricted expression of the gene MRP3. Here, we analysed the sex determination genomic region in three new strains isolated from the Gulf of Mexico and compared it to the alleles previously described in the Mediterranean strains. We first show that these geographically distant strains of P. multistriata belong to different populations but can interbreed. Next, we show that the two populations share an overall similar structure of the genomic locus although differences can be seen in the polymorphic regions upstream of MRP3. In strain P4-C1, we amplified and sequenced an allele (M) identical to one of those previously characterized in the Mediterranean strains. In the other two strains, P4-C2 and P4-C5, we identified three new alleles, which we named A2, B2 and N2. P4-C2 and P4-C5 are heterozygous and share the common allele A2 linked to the monoallelic expression of the MT+ specific sex determining gene MRP3. Our results expand information on the global distribution of P. multistriata and on the level of conservation of the sex determination region in different populations. The definition of the extent of intra- and inter-specific conservation of this region would be a relevant addition to our understanding of Pseudo-nitzschia diversity and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Victoria Scriven
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Lisa Campbell
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, 3146 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Marina Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
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12
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Annunziata R, Balestra C, Marotta P, Ruggiero A, Manfellotto F, Benvenuto G, Biffali E, Ferrante MI. An optimised method for intact nuclei isolation from diatoms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1681. [PMID: 33462289 PMCID: PMC7813820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81238-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their abundance in the oceans, their extraordinary biodiversity and the increasing use for biotech applications, the study of diatom biology is receiving more and more attention in the recent years. One of the limitations in developing molecular tools for diatoms lies in the peculiar nature of their cell wall, that is made of silica and organic molecules and that hinders the application of standard methods for cell lysis required, for example, to extract organelles. In this study we present a protocol for intact nuclei isolation from diatoms that was successfully applied to three different species: two pennates, Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and one centric diatom species, Chaetoceros diadema. Intact nuclei were extracted by treatment with acidified NH4F solution combined to low intensity sonication pulses and separated from cell debris via FAC-sorting upon incubation with SYBR Green. Microscopy observations confirmed the integrity of isolated nuclei and high sensitivity DNA electrophoresis showed that genomic DNA extracted from isolated nuclei has low degree of fragmentation. This protocol has proved to be a flexible and versatile method to obtain intact nuclei preparations from different diatom species and it has the potential to speed up applications such as epigenetic explorations as well as single cell ("single nuclei") genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics in different diatom species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pina Marotta
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Elio Biffali
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Napoli, Italy
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13
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Osuna-Cruz CM, Bilcke G, Vancaester E, De Decker S, Bones AM, Winge P, Poulsen N, Bulankova P, Verhelst B, Audoor S, Belisova D, Pargana A, Russo M, Stock F, Cirri E, Brembu T, Pohnert G, Piganeau G, Ferrante MI, Mock T, Sterck L, Sabbe K, De Veylder L, Vyverman W, Vandepoele K. Author Correction: The Seminavis robusta genome provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations of benthic diatoms. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5331. [PMID: 33067470 PMCID: PMC7567852 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Maria Osuna-Cruz
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gust Bilcke
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emmelien Vancaester
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sam De Decker
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Atle M Bones
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Winge
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nicole Poulsen
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technical University of Dresden, Tatzberg 41, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Petra Bulankova
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bram Verhelst
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sien Audoor
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Darja Belisova
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aikaterini Pargana
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Monia Russo
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Frederike Stock
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emilio Cirri
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstrasse 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Tore Brembu
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstrasse 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Gwenael Piganeau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Lieven Sterck
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Sabbe
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven De Veylder
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. .,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium. .,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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14
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Manfellotto F, Stella GR, Falciatore A, Brunet C, Ferrante MI. Engineering the Unicellular Alga Phaeodactylum tricornutum for Enhancing Carotenoid Production. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:E757. [PMID: 32824292 PMCID: PMC7465010 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9080757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microalgae represent a promising resource for the production of beneficial natural compounds due to their richness in secondary metabolites and easy cultivation. Carotenoids feature among distinctive compounds of many microalgae, including diatoms, which owe their golden color to the xanthophyll fucoxanthin. Carotenoids have antioxidant, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties, and there is a considerable market demand for these compounds. Here, with the aim to increase the carotenoid content in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, we exploited genetic transformation to overexpress genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. We produced transgenic lines over-expressing simultaneously one, two or three carotenoid biosynthetic genes, and evaluated changes in pigment content with high-performance liquid chromatography. Two triple transformants over-expressing the genes Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (Vde), Vde-related (Vdr) and Zeaxanthin epoxidase 3 (Zep3) showed an accumulation of carotenoids, with an increase in the fucoxanthin content up to four fold. Vde, Vdr and Zep3 mRNA and protein levels in the triple transformants were coherently increased. The exact role of these enzymes in the diatom carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is not completely elucidated nevertheless our strategy successfully modulated the carotenoid metabolism leading to an accumulation of valuable compounds, leading the way toward improved utilization of microalgae in the field of antioxidants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giulio Rocco Stella
- Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology, UMR 7238, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, F-75005 Paris, France; (G.R.S.); (A.F.)
- Boston Consulting Group, Via Ugo Foscolo 1, 20121 Milano, Italy
| | - Angela Falciatore
- Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology, UMR 7238, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, F-75005 Paris, France; (G.R.S.); (A.F.)
- Laboratory of Chloroplast Biology and Light Sensing in Microalgae, UMR 7141, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Brunet
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
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15
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Osuna-Cruz CM, Bilcke G, Vancaester E, De Decker S, Bones AM, Winge P, Poulsen N, Bulankova P, Verhelst B, Audoor S, Belisova D, Pargana A, Russo M, Stock F, Cirri E, Brembu T, Pohnert G, Piganeau G, Ferrante MI, Mock T, Sterck L, Sabbe K, De Veylder L, Vyverman W, Vandepoele K. The Seminavis robusta genome provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations of benthic diatoms. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3320. [PMID: 32620776 PMCID: PMC7335047 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17191-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Benthic diatoms are the main primary producers in shallow freshwater and coastal environments, fulfilling important ecological functions such as nutrient cycling and sediment stabilization. However, little is known about their evolutionary adaptations to these highly structured but heterogeneous environments. Here, we report a reference genome for the marine biofilm-forming diatom Seminavis robusta, showing that gene family expansions are responsible for a quarter of all 36,254 protein-coding genes. Tandem duplications play a key role in extending the repertoire of specific gene functions, including light and oxygen sensing, which are probably central for its adaptation to benthic habitats. Genes differentially expressed during interactions with bacteria are strongly conserved in other benthic diatoms while many species-specific genes are strongly upregulated during sexual reproduction. Combined with re-sequencing data from 48 strains, our results offer insights into the genetic diversity and gene functions in benthic diatoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Maria Osuna-Cruz
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gust Bilcke
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emmelien Vancaester
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sam De Decker
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Atle M Bones
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Winge
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nicole Poulsen
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technical University of Dresden, Tatzberg 41, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Petra Bulankova
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bram Verhelst
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sien Audoor
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Darja Belisova
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aikaterini Pargana
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Monia Russo
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Frederike Stock
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emilio Cirri
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstrasse 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Tore Brembu
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstrasse 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Gwenael Piganeau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Lieven Sterck
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Sabbe
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven De Veylder
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Gallo A, Guida M, Armiento G, Siciliano A, Mormile N, Carraturo F, Pellegrini D, Morroni L, Tosti E, Ferrante MI, Montresor M, Molisso F, Sacchi M, Danovaro R, Lofrano G, Libralato G. Species-specific sensitivity of three microalgae to sediment elutriates. Mar Environ Res 2020; 156:104901. [PMID: 32056796 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae are considered good bioindicators of marine environmental quality. Frequently, they are used to investigate the toxicity of sediment elutriates, but their sensitivity is disputed. This paper compared the sensitivity of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (diatom), Skeletonema costatum (diatom), and Dunaliella tertiolecta (green alga), analyzing 257 samples of elutriates (1:4 sediment: water ratio), considering growth inhibition (72 h) as the reference endpoint and sediment chemical (metals, metalloids and polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and grain size. Results of the toxicity tests showed that the microalgae sensitivity was not correlated. The integration of chemical data did not allow to discriminate toxicity effects but contributed to highlight that D. tertiolecta was the most sensitive microalgae (no cell wall) followed by P. tricornutum and S. costatum. Further analysis, including lines of evidence and weight of evidence approaches to calculate risk quotients of elutriate samples, confirmed these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - G Armiento
- ENEA, Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301, 00123, Roma, Italy
| | - A Siciliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - N Mormile
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - F Carraturo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - D Pellegrini
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via del Cedro (c/o Dogana d'Acqua), 57122, Livorno, Italy
| | - L Morroni
- ISPRA, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via del Cedro (c/o Dogana d'Acqua), 57122, Livorno, Italy
| | - E Tosti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M I Ferrante
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - M Montresor
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - F Molisso
- Istituto per le Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Napoli, Italy
| | - M Sacchi
- Istituto per le Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Napoli, Italy
| | - R Danovaro
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - G Lofrano
- Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cinthia 21, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - G Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 21, 80126, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.
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17
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Pelusi A, Rotolo F, Gallo A, Ferrante MI, Montresor M. Effects of elutriates from contaminated coastal sediments on different life cycle phases of planktonic diatoms. Mar Environ Res 2020; 155:104890. [PMID: 32072992 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the effects of elutriates from sediments collected at three stations in the polluted Bay of Bagnoli-Coroglio along the Campania coast (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) using three planktonic diatoms regularly occurring in the area, Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, P. arenysensis and Chaetoceros socialis. Specifically, we tested the production of sexual stages in the heterothallic Pseudo-nitzschia species with the hypothesis that pollutants could impair sexual reproduction. We also tested the seeding capacity of spores of C. socialis after up to six months of storage in elutriates, assuming that pollutants could affect the capability of resting stages to germinate. Elutriate from station 56, with the highest concentrations of pollutants, impaired growth, sexual reproduction and spore germination. Elutriates from stations 25 and 84 caused moderate enhancement of growth and sexual reproduction in Pseudo-nitzschia as compared with control conditions, and also had intermediate effect on spore seeding capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pelusi
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - F Rotolo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - A Gallo
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - M I Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - M Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
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18
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Patil S, Moeys S, von Dassow P, Huysman MJJ, Mapleson D, De Veylder L, Sanges R, Vyverman W, Montresor M, Ferrante MI. Correction to: Identification of the meiotic toolkit in diatoms and exploration of meiosis-specific SPO11 and RAD51 homologs in the sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:544. [PMID: 31277569 PMCID: PMC6610888 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5942-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the publication of this article [1], the authors reported that the link to Additional file 11 linked to the wrong set of data. The correct supplementary data is provided in this Correction article (Additional file 11).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrikant Patil
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Moeys
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter von Dassow
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,UMI 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS-UPMC Sorbonne Universités, PUCCh, UACH, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Marie J J Huysman
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel Mapleson
- The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Lieven De Veylder
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Remo Sanges
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marina Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy
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19
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Adelfi MG, Vitale RM, d'Ippolito G, Nuzzo G, Gallo C, Amodeo P, Manzo E, Pagano D, Landi S, Picariello G, Ferrante MI, Fontana A. Patatin-like lipolytic acyl hydrolases and galactolipid metabolism in marine diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2018; 1864:181-190. [PMID: 30521937 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Diatoms are eukaryotic microalgae that play a pivotal role in biological and geochemical marine cycles. These microorganisms are at the basis of the trophic chain and their lipids are essential components (e.g. eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) of aquatic food webs. Galactolipids are the primary lipid components of plastid membranes and form the largest lipid family of diatoms. As source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), these compounds are also involved in the synthesis of lipoxygenase (LOX) products such as non-volatile oxylipins and polyunsaturated aldehydes. Here, we report the first identification of two genes, namely PmLAH1 and PaLAH1, coding for lipolytic enzymes in two diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Functional and modeling studies evidence a patatin-like domain endowed with galactolipase and phospholipase activity at the C-terminus of both proteins. Homologues of Pseudo-nitzschia LAH1 genes were retrieved in other diatom species so far sequenced in agreement with conservation of the functional role of these proteins within the lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Adelfi
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Vitale
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuliana d'Ippolito
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Genoveffa Nuzzo
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmela Gallo
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro Amodeo
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Emiliano Manzo
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Dario Pagano
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Landi
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Gianluca Picariello
- CNR-Istituto di Scienze dell'Alimentazione, Via Roma, 52, 83100 Avellino, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Fontana
- CNR-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
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20
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Russo MT, Aiese Cigliano R, Sanseverino W, Ferrante MI. Assessment of genomic changes in a CRISPR/Cas9 Phaeodactylum tricornutum mutant through whole genome resequencing. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5507. [PMID: 30310734 PMCID: PMC6174884 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, co-opted from a bacterial defense natural mechanism, is the cutting edge technology to carry out genome editing in a revolutionary fashion. It has been shown to work in many different model organisms, from human to microbes, including two diatom species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana. Transforming P. tricornutum by bacterial conjugation, we have performed CRISPR/Cas9-based mutagenesis delivering the nuclease as an episome; this allowed for avoiding unwanted perturbations due to random integration in the genome and for excluding the Cas9 activity when it was no longer required, reducing the probability of obtaining off-target mutations, a major drawback of the technology. Since there are no reports on off-target occurrence at the genome level in microalgae, we performed whole-genome Illumina sequencing and found a number of different unspecific changes in both the wild type and mutant strains, while we did not observe any preferential mutation in the genomic regions in which off-targets were predicted. Our results confirm that the CRISPR/Cas9 technology can be efficiently applied to diatoms, showing that the choice of the conjugation method is advantageous for minimizing unwanted changes in the genome of P. tricornutum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monia Teresa Russo
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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21
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Basu S, Patil S, Mapleson D, Russo MT, Vitale L, Fevola C, Maumus F, Casotti R, Mock T, Caccamo M, Montresor M, Sanges R, Ferrante MI. Finding a partner in the ocean: molecular and evolutionary bases of the response to sexual cues in a planktonic diatom. New Phytol 2017; 215:140-156. [PMID: 28429538 PMCID: PMC5485032 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae play a major role as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. Cell signalling regulates their interactions with the environment and other organisms, yet this process in phytoplankton is poorly defined. Using the marine planktonic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, we investigated the cell response to cues released during sexual reproduction, an event that demands strong regulatory mechanisms and impacts on population dynamics. We sequenced the genome of P. multistriata and performed phylogenomic and transcriptomic analyses, which allowed the definition of gene gains and losses, horizontal gene transfers, conservation and evolutionary rate of sex-related genes. We also identified a small number of conserved noncoding elements. Sexual reproduction impacted on cell cycle progression and induced an asymmetric response of the opposite mating types. G protein-coupled receptors and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are implicated in the response to sexual cues, which overall entails a modulation of cell cycle, meiosis-related and nutrient transporter genes, suggesting a fine control of nutrient uptake even under nutrient-replete conditions. The controllable life cycle and the genome sequence of P. multistriata allow the reconstruction of changes occurring in diatoms in a key phase of their life cycle, providing hints on the evolution and putative function of their genes and empowering studies on sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaraj Basu
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | - Shrikant Patil
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | | | - Monia Teresa Russo
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | - Laura Vitale
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | - Cristina Fevola
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Casotti
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwich Research ParkNorwichNR4 7TJUK
| | - Mario Caccamo
- Earlham InstituteNorwich Research ParkNorwichNR4 7UGUK
| | - Marina Montresor
- Integrative Marine EcologyStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
| | - Remo Sanges
- Biology and Evolution of Marine OrganismsStazione Zoologica Anton DohrnVilla Comunale 1Naples80121Italy
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22
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Scalco E, Amato A, Ferrante MI, Montresor M. The sexual phase of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata: cytological and time-lapse cinematography characterization. Protoplasma 2016; 253:1421-1431. [PMID: 26494151 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0891-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pseudo-nitzschia is a thoroughly studied pennate diatom genus for ecological and biological reasons. Many species in this genus, including Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, can produce domoic acid, a toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning. Physiological, phylogenetic and biological features of P. multistriata were studied extensively in the past. Life cycle stages, including the sexual phase, fundamental in diatoms to restore the maximum cell size and avoid miniaturization to death, have been well described for this species. P. multistriata is heterothallic; sexual reproduction is induced when strains of opposite mating type are mixed, and proceeds with cells producing two functionally anisogamous gametes each; however, detailed cytological information for this process is missing. By means of confocal laser scanning microscopy and nuclear staining, we followed the nuclear fate during meiosis, and using time-lapse cinematography, we timed every step of the sexual reproduction process from mate pairing to initial cell hatching. The present paper depicts cytological aspects during gametogenesis in P. multistriata, shedding light on the chloroplast behaviour during sexual reproduction, finely describing the timing of the sexual phases and providing reference data for further studies on the molecular control of this fundamental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Scalco
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Alberto Amato
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marina Montresor
- Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy
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23
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24
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Gherardi M, Amato A, Bouly JP, Cheminant S, Ferrante MI, d'Alcalá MR, Iudicone D, Falciatore A, Cosentino Lagomarsino M. Regulation of chain length in two diatoms as a growth-fragmentation process. Phys Rev E 2016; 94:022418. [PMID: 27627344 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.94.022418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Chain formation in diatoms is relevant because of several aspects of their adaptation to the ecosystem. However, the tools to quantify the regulation of their assemblage and infer specific mechanisms in a laboratory setting are scarce. To address this problem, we define an approach based on a statistical physics model of chain growth and separation in combination with experimental evaluation of chain-length distributions. Applying this combined analysis to data from Chaetoceros decipiens and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, we find that cells of the first species control chain separation, likely through a cell-to-cell communication process, while the second species only modulates the separation rate. These results promote quantitative methods for characterizing chain formation in several chain-forming species and in diatoms in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gherardi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, University of Milano, Via Celoria 16, Milano, Italy.,INFN, Milano, Italy.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7238, Computational and Quantitative Biology, 15 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris, France
| | - Alberto Amato
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Jean-Pierre Bouly
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7238, Computational and Quantitative Biology, 15 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris, France
| | - Soizic Cheminant
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7238, Computational and Quantitative Biology, 15 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris, France
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalá
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniele Iudicone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Falciatore
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7238, Computational and Quantitative Biology, 15 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 7238, Paris, France
| | - Marco Cosentino Lagomarsino
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, UMR 7238, Computational and Quantitative Biology, 15 rue de l'École de Médecine, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 7238, Paris, France
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25
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Patil S, Moeys S, von Dassow P, Huysman MJJ, Mapleson D, De Veylder L, Sanges R, Vyverman W, Montresor M, Ferrante MI. Identification of the meiotic toolkit in diatoms and exploration of meiosis-specific SPO11 and RAD51 homologs in the sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:930. [PMID: 26572248 PMCID: PMC4647503 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1983-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual reproduction is an obligate phase in the life cycle of most eukaryotes. Meiosis varies among organisms, which is reflected by the variability of the gene set associated to the process. Diatoms are unicellular organisms that belong to the stramenopile clade and have unique life cycles that can include a sexual phase. RESULTS The exploration of five diatom genomes and one diatom transcriptome led to the identification of 42 genes potentially involved in meiosis. While these include the majority of known meiosis-related genes, several meiosis-specific genes, including DMC1, could not be identified. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses supported gene identification and revealed ancestral loss and recent expansion in the RAD51 family in diatoms. The two sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta were used to explore the expression of meiosis-related genes: RAD21, SPO11-2, RAD51-A, RAD51-B and RAD51-C were upregulated during meiosis, whereas other paralogs in these families showed no differential expression patterns, suggesting that they may play a role during vegetative divisions. An almost identical toolkit is shared among Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries and Fragilariopsis cylindrus, as well as two species for which sex has not been observed, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana, suggesting that these two may retain a facultative sexual phase. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal the conserved meiotic toolkit in six diatom species and indicate that Stramenopiles share major modifications of canonical meiosis processes ancestral to eukaryotes, with important divergences in each Kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrikant Patil
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Sara Moeys
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Peter von Dassow
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,UMI 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS-UPMC Sorbonne Universités, PUCCh, UACH, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.
| | - Marie J J Huysman
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Daniel Mapleson
- The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
| | - Lieven De Veylder
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), 9052, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Remo Sanges
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy.
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Department of Biology, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Marina Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy.
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26
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Sabatino V, Russo MT, Patil S, d'Ippolito G, Fontana A, Ferrante MI. Establishment of Genetic Transformation in the Sexually Reproducing Diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis and Inheritance of the Transgene. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2015; 17:452-462. [PMID: 25869745 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-015-9633-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report the genetic transformation of the planktonic diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis and Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, members of the widely distributed and ecologically important genus Pseudo-nitzschia. P. arenysensis and P. multistriata present the classical size reduction/restitution life cycle and can reproduce sexually. Genetic transformation was achieved with the biolistic method, using the H4 gene promoter from P. multistriata to drive expression of exogenous genes. The transformation was first optimized introducing the Sh ble gene to confer resistance to the antibiotic zeocin. Integration of the transgene was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Subsequently, we simultaneously transformed in P. arenysensis two plasmids, one encoding the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene together with the plasmid carrying the Sh ble resistance gene, demonstrating the possibility of co-transformation. By transforming a gene encoding a fusion between the histone H4 and the green fluorescent protein (GFP), we demonstrated that fluorescent tagging is possible and that studies for protein localization are feasible. Importantly, we crossed P. arenysensis- and P. multistriata-transformed strains with a wild-type strain of opposite mating type and demonstrated that the transgene can be inherited in the F1 generation. The possibility to transform two diatom species for which genetic crosses are possible opens the way to a number of new approaches, including classical loss of function screens and the possibility to obtain different combinations of double transformants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Sabatino
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy
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27
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Russo MT, Annunziata R, Sanges R, Ferrante MI, Falciatore A. The upstream regulatory sequence of the light harvesting complex Lhcf2 gene of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum enhances transcription in an orientation- and distance-independent fashion. Mar Genomics 2015; 24 Pt 1:69-79. [PMID: 26117181 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Diatoms are a key phytoplankton group in the contemporary ocean, showing extraordinary adaptation capacities to rapidly changing environments. The recent availability of whole genome sequences from representative species has revealed distinct features in their genomes, like novel combinations of genes encoding distinct metabolisms and a significant number of diatom-specific genes. However, the regulatory mechanisms driving diatom gene expression are still largely uncharacterized. Considering the wide variety of fields of study orbiting diatoms, ranging from ecology, evolutionary biology to biotechnology, it is thus essential to increase our understanding of fundamental gene regulatory processes such as transcriptional regulation. To this aim, we explored the functional properties of the 5'-flanking region of the Phaeodatylum tricornutum Lhcf2 gene, encoding a member of the Light Harvesting Complex superfamily and we showed that this region enhances transcription of a GUS reporter gene in an orientation- and distance-independent fashion. This represents the first example of a cis-regulatory sequence with enhancer-like features discovered in diatoms and it is instrumental for the generation of novel genetic tools and diatom exploitation in different areas of study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rossella Annunziata
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR 7238, F-75006 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR 7238, F-75006 Paris, France
| | - Remo Sanges
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Angela Falciatore
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR 7238, F-75006 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR 7238, F-75006 Paris, France.
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28
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Rogato A, Amato A, Iudicone D, Chiurazzi M, Ferrante MI, d'Alcalà MR. The diatom molecular toolkit to handle nitrogen uptake. Mar Genomics 2015; 24 Pt 1:95-108. [PMID: 26055207 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient concentrations in the oceans display significant temporal and spatial variability, which strongly affects growth, distribution and survival of phytoplankton. Nitrogen (N) in particular is often considered a limiting resource for prominent marine microalgae, such as diatoms. Diatoms possess a suite of N-related transporters and enzymes and utilize a variety of inorganic (e.g., nitrate, NO3(-); ammonium, NH4(+)) and organic (e.g., urea; amino acids) N sources for growth. However, the molecular mechanisms allowing diatoms to cope efficiently with N oscillations by controlling uptake capacities and signaling pathways involved in the perception of external and internal clues remain largely unknown. Data reported in the literature suggest that the regulation and the characteristic of the genes, and their products, involved in N metabolism are often diatom-specific, which correlates with the peculiar physiology of these organisms for what N utilization concerns. Our study reveals that diatoms host a larger suite of N transporters than one would expected for a unicellular organism, which may warrant flexible responses to variable conditions, possibly also correlated to the phases of life cycle of the cells. All this makes N transporters a crucial key to reveal the balance between proximate and ultimate factors in diatom life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Rogato
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Alberto Amato
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale 1, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniele Iudicone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale 1, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Maurizio Chiurazzi
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Immacolata Ferrante
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale 1, 80121 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Ribera d'Alcalà
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Villa Comunale 1, 80121 Naples, Italy
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29
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Scalco E, Stec K, Iudicone D, Ferrante MI, Montresor M. The dynamics of sexual phase in the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata (Bacillariophyceae). J Phycol 2014; 50:817-828. [PMID: 26988637 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction represents a fundamental phase in the life cycle of diatoms, linked to both the production of genotypic diversity and the formation of large-sized initial cells. Only cells below a certain size threshold can be sexualized, but various environmental factors can modulate the success of sexual reproduction. We investigated the role of cell density and physiological conditions of parental strains in affecting the success and timing of sexual reproduction in the marine heterothallic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. We also studied the dynamics of the sexual phase in still conditions allowing cell sedimentation and in gently mixed conditions that keep cells in suspension. Our results showed that successful sexual reproduction can only be achieved when crossing parental strains in the exponential growth phase. Evidence was provided for the fact that sexual reproduction is a density-dependent event and requires a threshold cell concentration to start, although this might vary considerably amongst strains. Moreover, the onset of the sexual phase was coupled to a marked reduction in growth of the vegetative parental cells. The crosses carried out in physically mixed conditions produced a significantly reduced number of sexual stages as compared to crosses in still conditions, showing that mixing impairs sexualization. The results of our experiments suggest that the signaling that triggers the sexual phase is favored when cells can accumulate, reducing the distance between them and facilitating contacts and/or the perception of chemical cues. Information on the progression of the sexual phase in laboratory conditions help understanding the conditions at which sex occurs in the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Scalco
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Krzysztof Stec
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Daniele Iudicone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | | | - Marina Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, 80121, Italy
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30
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Ferrante MI, Zullo A, Barra A, Bimonte S, Messaddeq N, Studer M, Dollé P, Franco B. Oral-facial-digital type I protein is required for primary cilia formation and left-right axis specification. Nat Genet 2005; 38:112-7. [PMID: 16311594 DOI: 10.1038/ng1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2005] [Accepted: 09/16/2005] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The oral-facial-digital type I (OFD1) syndrome (OMIM 311200) is a human developmental disorder; affected individuals have craniofacial and digital abnormalities and, in 15% of cases, polycystic kidney. The disease is inherited as an X-linked dominant male-lethal trait. Using a Cre-loxP system, we generated knockout animals lacking Ofd1 and reproduced the main features of the disease, albeit with increased severity, possibly owing to differences of X inactivation patterns between human and mouse. We found failure of left-right axis specification in mutant male embryos, and ultrastructural analysis showed a lack of cilia in the embryonic node. Formation of cilia was defective in cystic kidneys from heterozygous females, implicating ciliogenesis as a mechanism underlying cyst development. In addition, we found impaired patterning of the neural tube and altered expression of the 5' Hoxa and Hoxd genes in the limb buds of mice lacking Ofd1, suggesting that Ofd1 could have a role beyond primary cilium organization and assembly.
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Di Leva F, Ferrante MI, Demarchi F, Caravelli A, Matarazzo MR, Giacca M, D'Urso M, D'Esposito M, Franzé A. Human synaptobrevin-like 1 gene basal transcription is regulated through the interaction of selenocysteine tRNA gene transcription activating factor-zinc finger 143 factors with evolutionary conserved cis-elements. J Biol Chem 2003; 279:7734-9. [PMID: 14672948 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m308140200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptobrevin-like 1 (SYBL1) gene is ubiquitously expressed and codes for an unusual member of the v-SNAREs molecules implicated in cellular exocytosis. This X-linked gene has the peculiarity of also being present on the Y chromosome in a transcriptional inactive status. Moreover, although ubiquitous, the function of SYBL1 is prominent in specific tissues, such as brain. As a first insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling SYBL1 expression, in this report we describe the extent and role of SYBL1 upstream regions and characterize the binding of trans-acting factors. In vivo foot-printing experiments identify three protected regions. Band shift and transient reporter gene assays indicate a strong role of two of these evolutionary conserved regions in regulating SYBL1 transcription. Because one site is the classical CAAT box, we characterized the binding to the other site of the mammalian homologues of the selenocysteine tRNA gene transcription activating factor (Staf) family, zinc-finger transcription factors, and their role in regulating SYBL1 expression. The results reported here clarify that a Staf-zinc finger family factor, together with the CAAT factor, is the major nuclear protein bound to the SYBL1 promoter region and is responsible for its regulation in HeLa cells, thus identifying the basic control of SYBL1 transcription. In vivo binding of Staf proteins to the SYBL1 promoter is confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Our results identify a fourth mRNA promoter stimulated by a member of the Staf-zinc finger family, the function of which on mRNA polymerase II promoters is still very poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Leva
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics A. Buzzati Traverso, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Abstract
We report the identification and characterization of a homologue of the IL1RAPL transcript which is responsible for a form of X-linked mental retardation (MRX34). This new transcript was cloned by analysis of genomic sequences from the Xq22 region and was named IL1RAPL2 (Interleukin 1 Receptor Accessory Protein-Like-2). The two X-linked genes share the same domains, the same exon-intron organization and a high degree of similarity at the protein level (70.4% similarity). RNA in situ expression studies on mouse embryo tissue section at different developmental stages show that Il1rapl2 is specifically expressed in the nervous system from embryonic day 12.5. The homologies together with the pattern of expression render ILRAPL2 a candidate gene for disorders displaying involvement of the CNS, including the MRX loci for which the gene has not been identified yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Ferrante
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Milan, Italy
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Franzè A, Ferrante MI, Fusco F, Santoro A, Sanzari E, Martini G, Ursini MV. Molecular anatomy of the human glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase core promoter. FEBS Lett 1998; 437:313-8. [PMID: 9824315 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01259-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The gene encoding glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), which plays a pivotal role in cell defense against oxidative stress, is ubiquitously expressed at widely different levels in various tissues; moreover, G6PD expression is regulated by a number of stimuli. In this study we have analyzed the molecular anatomy of the G6PD core promoter. Our results indicate that the G6PD promoter is more complex than previously assumed; G6PD expression is under the control of several elements that are all required for correct promoter functioning and, furthermore, a still unidentified mammalian specific factor is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Franzè
- Istituto Internazionale di Genetica e Biofisica, CNR, Naples, Italy.
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