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Luo Z, Wang Z, Tang Y, Sun Y, Jiang Y, Yang W, Chen G, Huang L. Complete mitochondrial genome of an oleaginous microalga Vischeria punctata (Eustigmatophyceae: Chlorobotryaceae) and phylogenetic analysis. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2024; 9:94-99. [PMID: 38249358 PMCID: PMC10798287 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2023.2301027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Vischeria punctata, as first described by Vischer in 1945, is a member of the family Chlorobotryaceae, within the order Eustigmatales. This species is recognized for its potential as a source of biofuels and other high-value products. In the present investigation, the whole genome of V. punctata was sequenced utilizing the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform, enabling the assembly and annotation of its complete mitochondrial genome. The resulting circular genome spans 41,528 base pairs (bp) with a guanine-cytosine (GC) content of 27.3%. This genome encompasses 36 protein-coding genes, alongside 28 transfer RNA (tRNA), and three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The evolutionary trajectory of V. punctata was further explored by constructing a phylogenetic tree derived from the mitochondrial 33 gene dataset of 16 Ochrophyta species. Comparative analysis reveals that V. punctata bears closer ties to Vischeria sp. CAUP Q202 than to Vischeria stellata strain SAG 33.83, suggesting shared evolutionary pathways and phenotypic traits. This investigation constitutes the inaugural study into the mitochondrial evolution and phylogenetic patterning of the mitogenome in V. punctata. The outcomes from this research bolster our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary processes within the class Eustigmatophyceae. In particular, the mitochondrial genome of V. punctata serves as a valuable resource in elucidating these aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouwei Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Zihao Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yanhang Tang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yuexin Sun
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Wenjie Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Ge Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Luodong Huang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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Gao B, Xu M, Shan D, Zhang C, Yang Y, Dong Z, Zhang H, Han B, Huang L, Zhang C. The genomes of Vischeria oleaginous microalgae shed light on the molecular basis of hyper-accumulation of lipids. BMC Biol 2023; 21:133. [PMID: 37280620 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01618-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, and the dwindling reserves of easily exploitable fossil fuel, microalgae-based biofuels that can be used for transport systems and CO2 abatement have attracted great attention worldwide in recent years. One useful characteristic of microalgae is their ability to accumulate high levels of lipid content, in particular under conditions of nitrogen deprivation, with numerous species identified so far. However, a trade-off between levels of lipid accumulation and biomass productivity hinders the commercial applicability of lipids from microalgae. Here, we sequenced the genomes of Vischeria sp. CAUP H4302 and Vischeria stellata SAG 33.83, which can accumulate high content of lipids rich in nutraceutical fatty acids and with excellent biomass yield in nitrogen-limiting culture. RESULTS A whole-genome duplication (WGD) event was revealed in V. sp. CAUP H4302, which is a rare event in unicellular microalgae. Comparative genomic analyses showed that a battery of genes encoding pivotal enzymes involved in fatty acids and triacylglycerol biosynthesis, storage polysaccharide hydrolysis, and nitrogen and amino acid-related metabolisms are expanded in the genus Vischeria or only in V. sp. CAUP H4302. The most highlighted is the expansion of cyanate lyase genes in the genus Vischeria, which may enhance their detoxification ability against the toxic cyanate by decomposing cyanate to NH3 and CO2, especially under nitrogen-limiting conditions, resulting in better growth performance and sustained accumulation of biomass under the aforementioned stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a WGD event in microalgae, providing new insights into the genetic and regulatory mechanism underpinning hyper-accumulation of lipids and offering potentially valuable targets for future improvements in oleaginous microalgae by metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyan Gao
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Dai Shan
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulan Yang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Boping Han
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Luodong Huang
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Chengwu Zhang
- Department of Ecology & Research Center for Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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Barcytė D, Zátopková M, Němcová Y, Richtář M, Yurchenko T, Jaške K, Fawley KP, Škaloud P, Ševčíková T, Fawley MW, Eliáš M. Redefining Chlorobotryaceae as one of the principal and most diverse lineages of eustigmatophyte algae. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 177:107607. [PMID: 35963589 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Eustigmatophyceae is one of the ∼17 classes of the vast algal phylum Ochrophyta. Over the last decade, the eustigmatophytes emerged as an expansive group that has grown from the initially recognized handful of species to well over 200 genetically distinct entities (potential species). Yet the majority of eustigs, remain represented by unidentified strains, or even only metabarcode sequences obtained from environmental samples. Moreover, the formal classification of the group has not yet been harmonized with the recently uncovered diversity and phylogenetic relationships within the class. Here we make a major step towards resolving this issue by addressing the diversity, phylogeny and classification of one of the most prominent eustigmatophyte clades previously informally called the "Eustigmataceae group". We obtained 18S rDNA and rbcL gene sequences from four new strains from the "Eustigmataceae group", and from several additional eustig strains, and performed the most comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of Eustigmatophyceae to date. Our results of these analyses confirm the monophyly of the "Eustigmataceae group" and define its major subclades. We also sequenced plastid genomes of five "Eustigmataceae group" strains to not only improve our understanding of the plastid gene content evolution in eustigs, but also to obtain a robustly resolved eustigmatophyte phylogeny. With this new genomic data, we have solidified the view of the "Eustigmataceae group" as a well-defined family level clade. Crucially, we also have firmly established the genus Chlorobotrys as a member of the "Eustigmataceae group". This new molecular evidence, together with a critical analysis of the literature going back to the 19th century, provided the basis to radically redefine the historical concept of the family Chlorobotryaceae as the formal taxonomic rubric corresponding to the "Eustigmataceae group". With this change, the family names Eustigmataceae and Characiopsidaceae are reduced to synonymy with the Chlorobotryaceae, with the latter having taxonomic priority. We additionally studied in detail the morphology and ultrastructure of two Chlorobotryaceae members, which we describe as Neustupella aerophytica gen. et sp. nov. and Lietzensia polymorpha gen. et sp. nov. Finally, our analyses of partial genomic data from several Chlorobotryaceae representatives identified genes for hallmark flagellar proteins in all of these strains. The presence of the flagellar proteins strongly suggests that zoosporogenesis is a common trait of the family and also occurs in the members never observed to produce flagellated stages. Altogether, our work paints a rich picture of one of the most diverse principal lineages of eustigmatophyte algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dovilė Barcytė
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Martina Zátopková
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Yvonne Němcová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Richtář
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tatiana Yurchenko
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Karin Jaške
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Karen P Fawley
- Division of Science and Mathematics, University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, AR 72830, USA
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Ševčíková
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Marvin W Fawley
- Division of Science and Mathematics, University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, AR 72830, USA
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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Chen KH, Nelson J. A scoping review of bryophyte microbiota: diverse microbial communities in small plant packages. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4496-4513. [PMID: 35536989 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant health depends not only on the condition of the plant itself but also on its diverse community of microbes, or microbiota. Just like the better-studied angiosperms, bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) harbor diverse communities of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other microbial eukaryotes. Bryophytes are increasingly recognized as important model systems for understanding plant evolution, development, physiology, and symbiotic interactions. Much of the work on bryophyte microbiota in the past focused on specific symbiont types for each bryophyte group, but more recent studies are taking a broader view acknowledging the coexistence of diverse microbial communities in bryophytes. Therefore, this review integrates studies of bryophyte microbes from both perspectives to provide a holistic view of the existing research for each bryophyte group and on key themes. The systematic search also reveals the taxonomic and geographic biases in this field, including a severe under-representation of the tropics, very few studies on viruses or eukaryotic microbes beyond fungi, and a focus on mycorrhizal fungi studies in liverworts. Such gaps may have led to errors in conclusions about evolutionary patterns in symbiosis. This analysis points to a wealth of future research directions that promise to reveal how the distinct life cycles and physiology of bryophytes interact with their microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ko-Hsuan Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jessica Nelson
- Maastricht Science Programme, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Robison T, Nelson JM, Hauser DA, Lewis LA, Li FW. Dynamic plastid and mitochondrial genomes in Chaetopeltidales (Chlorophyceae) and characterization of a new chlorophyte taxon. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:939-951. [PMID: 35678538 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Chaetopeltidales is a poorly characterized order in the Chlorophyceae, with only two plastid and no mitochondrial genomes published. Here we describe a new taxon in Chaetopeltidales, Gormaniella terricola gen. et sp. nov. and characterize both of its organellar genomes. METHODS Gormaniella terricola was inadvertently isolated from a surface-sterilized hornwort thallus. Light microscopy was used to characterize its vegetative morphology. Organellar genomes were assembled, annotated, and analyzed using a variety of software packages. RESULTS The mitochondrial genome (66,927 bp) represents the first complete mitochondrial genome published for Chaetopeltidales. The chloroplast genome, measuring 428,981 bp, is one of the largest plastid genomes published to date and shares this large size and an incredible number of short, dispersed repeats with the other sequenced chloroplast genomes in Chaetopeltidales. Despite these shared features, the chloroplast genomes of Chaetopeltidales appear to be highly rearranged when compared to one another, with numerous inversions, translocations, and duplications, suggesting a particularly dynamic chloroplast genome. Both the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of G. terricola contain a number of mobile group I and group II introns, which appear to have invaded separately. Three of the introns within the mitochondrial genome encode homing endonucleases that are phylogenetically nested within those found in fungi, rather than algae, suggesting a possible case of horizontal gene transfer. CONCLUSIONS These results help to shed light on a poorly understood group of algae and their unusual organellar genomes, raising additional questions about the unique patterns of genome evolution within Chaetopeltidales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Robison
- Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Louise A Lewis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Fay-Wei Li
- Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Abstract
Alu RNA are implicated in the poor prognosis of several human disease states. These RNA are transcription products of primate specific transposable elements called Alu elements. These elements are extremely abundant, comprising over 10% of the human genome, and 100 to 1000 cytoplasmic copies of Alu RNA per cell. Alu RNA do not have a single universal functional role aside from selfish self-propagation. Despite this, Alu RNA have been found to operate in a diverse set of translational and transcriptional mechanisms. This review will focus on the current knowledge of Alu RNA involved in human disease states and known mechanisms of action. Examples of Alu RNA that are transcribed in a variety of contexts such as introns, mature mRNA, and non-coding transcripts will be discussed. Past and present challenges in studying Alu RNA, and the future directions of Alu RNA in basic and clinical research will also be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean A McKenna
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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