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Morelle J, Bastos A, Frankenbach S, Frommlet JC, Campbell DA, Lavaud J, Serôdio J. The Photoprotective Behavior of a Motile Benthic Diatom as Elucidated from the Interplay Between Cell Motility and Physiological Responses to a Light Microgradient Using a Novel Experimental Setup. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:40. [PMID: 38351424 PMCID: PMC10864569 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02354-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
It has long been hypothesized that benthic motile pennate diatoms use phototaxis to optimize photosynthesis and minimize photoinhibitory damage by adjusting their position within vertical light gradients in coastal benthic sediments. However, experimental evidence to test this hypothesis remains inconclusive, mainly due to methodological difficulties in studying cell behavior and photosynthesis over realistic spatial microscale gradients of irradiance and cell position. In this study, a novel experimental approach was developed and used to test the hypothesis of photosynthesis optimization through motility, based on the combination of single-cell in vivo chlorophyll fluorometry and microfluidic chips. The approach allows the concurrent study of behavior and photosynthetic activity of individual cells of the epipelic diatom species Craspedostauros britannicus exposed to a light microgradient of realistic dimensions, simulating the irradiance and distance scales of light microgradients in benthic sediments. Following exposure to light, (i) cells explored their light environment before initiating light-directed motility; (ii) cells used motility to lower their light dose, when exposed to the highest light intensities; and (iii) motility was combined with reversible non-photochemical quenching, to allow cells to avoid photoinhibition. The results of this proof-of-concept study not only strongly support the photoprotective nature of photobehavior in the studied species but also revealed considerable variability in how individual cells reacted to a light microgradient. The experimental setup can be readily applied to study motility and photosynthetic light responses of other diatom species or natural assemblages, as well as other photoautotrophic motile microorganisms, broadening the toolset for experimental microbial ecology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Morelle
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Alexandra Bastos
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Silja Frankenbach
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jörg C Frommlet
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Johann Lavaud
- LEMAR-Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences, UMR 6539 CNRS, Univ Brest, Ifremer, IRD, Institut Universitaire Européen de La Mer, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Plouzané, France
| | - João Serôdio
- CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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2
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Mugnai S, Derossi N, Hendlin Y. Algae communication, conspecific and interspecific: the concepts of phycosphere and algal-bacteria consortia in a photobioreactor (PBR). PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2023; 18:2148371. [PMID: 36934349 PMCID: PMC10026891 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2148371] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae in the wild often form consortia with other species promoting their own health and resource foraging opportunities. The recent application of microalgae cultivation and deployment in commercial photobioreactors (PBR) so far has focussed on single species of algae, resulting in multi-species consortia being largely unexplored. Reviewing the current status of PBR ecological habitat, this article argues in favor of further investigation into algal communication with conspecifics and interspecifics, including other strains of microalgae and bacteria. These mutualistic species form the 'phycosphere': the microenvironment surrounding microalgal cells, potentiating the production of certain metabolites through biochemical interaction with cohabitating microorganisms. A better understanding of the phycosphere could lead to novel PBR configurations, capable of incorporating algal-microbial consortia, potentially proving more effective than single-species algal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yogi Hendlin
- Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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3
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Buchinger TJ, Li W. Chemical communication and its role in sexual selection across Animalia. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1178. [PMID: 37985853 PMCID: PMC10662023 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05572-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection has been studied as a major evolutionary driver of animal diversity for roughly 50 years. Much evidence indicates that competition for mates favors elaborate signaling traits. However, this evidence comes primarily from a few taxa, leaving sexual selection as a salient evolutionary force across Animalia largely untested. Here, we reviewed the evidence for sexual selection on communication across all animal phyla, classes, and orders with emphasis on chemoreception, the only sense shared across lifeforms. An exhaustive literature review documented evidence for sexual selection on chemosensory traits in 10 of 34 animal phyla and indications of sexual selection on chemosensory traits in an additional 13 phyla. Potential targets of sexual selection include structures and processes involved in production, delivery, and detection of chemical signals. Our review suggests sexual selection plays a widespread role in the evolution of communication and highlights the need for research that better reflects animal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Buchinger
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
- Biology Department, Albion College, Albion, MI, USA.
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Chen G, Wang F, Zhang X, Shang Y, Zhao Y. Living microecological hydrogels for wound healing. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg3478. [PMID: 37224242 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hard-to-heal wounds draw great attention worldwide, as their treatments are limited by infections and hypoxia. Inspired by the natural oxygen production capacity of algae and the competitive advantage of beneficial bacteria over other microbes, we presented a living microecological hydrogel (LMH) with functionalized Chlorella and Bacillus subtilis encapsulation to realize continuous oxygen delivery and anti-infections for promoting chronic wound healing. As the hydrogel consisted of thermosensitive Pluronic F-127 and wet-adhesive polydopamine, the LMH could keep liquid at a low temperature while quickly solidifying and tightly adhering to the wound bed. It was demonstrated that by optimizing the proportion of the encapsulated microorganism, the Chlorella could continuously produce oxygen to relieve hypoxia and support the proliferation of B. subtilis, while B. subtilis could eliminate the colonized pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the LMH substantially promoted the healing of infected diabetic wounds. These features make the LMH valuable for practical clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guopu Chen
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210002, China
| | - Fengyuan Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yixuan Shang
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210002, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210002, China
- Department of Dermatology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
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Cheng A, Lim WY, Lim PE, Yang Amri A, Poong SW, Song SL, Ilham Z. Marine Autotroph-Herbivore Synergies: Unravelling the Roles of Macroalgae in Marine Ecosystem Dynamics. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081209. [PMID: 36009834 PMCID: PMC9405220 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Invasive species are a leading hazard to marine ecosystems worldwide, coupled with climate change. Tackling the emerging biodiversity threat to maintain the ecological balance of the largest biome in the world has now become a pivotal part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Marine herbivores are generally regarded as biological agents that restrict invasive species, and their efficiency depends on their dietary habits, especially the autotrophs they eat. Many researchers have found contradicting findings on the effects of nutritional attributes and novelty of autotrophs on herbivore eating behaviour. In light of the scattered literature on the mechanistic basis of autotroph-herbivore interactions, we provide a comprehensive review to fill knowledge gaps about synergies based on macroalgae, an important group of photosynthetic organisms in the marine biome that interact strongly with generalist herbivores. We also analyse macroalgal defence measures against herbivores, underlining unique features and potential roles in maintaining marine ecosystems. The nutritional qualities, shape, and novelty of autotrophs can alter herbivore feeding behaviour. Future research should explore aspects that can alter marine autotroph-herbivore interactions to resolve inconsistent results of specific features and the uniqueness of the organisms involved. Abstract Species invasion is a leading threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, being deemed as one of the ultimate jeopardies for biodiversity along with climate change. Tackling the emerging biodiversity threat to maintain the ecological balance of the largest biome in the world has now become a pivotal part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Marine herbivores are often considered as biological agents that control the spread of invasive species, and their effectiveness depends largely on factors that influence their feeding preferences, including the specific attributes of their food–the autotrophs. While the marine autotroph-herbivore interactions have been substantially discussed globally, many studies have reported contradictory findings on the effects of nutritional attributes and novelty of autotrophs on herbivore feeding behaviour. In view of the scattered literature on the mechanistic basis of autotroph-herbivore interactions, we generate a comprehensive review to furnish insights into critical knowledge gaps about the synergies based largely on the characteristics of macroalgae; an important group of photosynthetic organisms in the marine biome that interact strongly with generalist herbivores. We also discuss the key defence strategies of these macroalgae against the herbivores, highlighting their unique attributes and plausible roles in keeping the marine ecosystems intact. Overall, the feeding behaviour of herbivores can be affected by the nutritional attributes, morphology, and novelty of the autotrophs. We recommend that future research should carefully consider different factors that can potentially affect the dynamics of the marine autotroph-herbivore interactions to resolve the inconsistent results of specific attributes and novelty of the organisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acga Cheng
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Wai Yin Lim
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Phaik-Eem Lim
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Affendi Yang Amri
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Sze-Wan Poong
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Sze-Looi Song
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (S.-L.S.); (Z.I.); Tel.: +60-37967-4014 (Z.I.)
| | - Zul Ilham
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Correspondence: (S.-L.S.); (Z.I.); Tel.: +60-37967-4014 (Z.I.)
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English ED, Guérin A, Tandel J, Striepen B. Live imaging of the Cryptosporidium parvum life cycle reveals direct development of male and female gametes from type I meronts. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001604. [PMID: 35436284 PMCID: PMC9015140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a leading infectious cause of diarrhea around the world associated with waterborne outbreaks, community spread, or zoonotic transmission. The parasite has significant impact on early childhood mortality, and infection is both a consequence and cause of malnutrition and stunting. There is currently no vaccine, and treatment options are very limited. Cryptosporidium is a member of the Apicomplexa, and, as typical for this, protist phylum relies on asexual and sexual reproduction. In contrast to other Apicomplexa, including the malaria parasite Plasmodium, the entire Cryptosporidium life cycle unfolds in a single host in less than 3 days. Here, we establish a model to image life cycle progression in living cells and observe, track, and compare nuclear division of asexual and sexual stage parasites. We establish the length and sequence of the cell cycles of all stages and map the developmental fate of parasites across multiple rounds of invasion and egress. We propose that the parasite executes an intrinsic program of 3 generations of asexual replication, followed by a single generation of sexual stages that is independent of environmental stimuli. We find no evidence for a morphologically distinct intermediate stage (the tetraploid type II meront) but demonstrate direct development of gametes from 8N type I meronts. The progeny of each meront is collectively committed to either asexual or sexual fate, but, importantly, meronts committed to sexual fate give rise to both males and females. We define a Cryptosporidium life cycle matching Tyzzer’s original description and inconsistent with the coccidian life cycle now shown in many textbooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth D. English
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Seaweed-Derived Proteins and Peptides: Promising Marine Bioactives. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11010176. [PMID: 35052680 PMCID: PMC8773382 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11010176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Seaweeds are a typical food of East-Asian cuisine, to which are alleged several beneficial health effects have been attributed. Their availability and their nutritional and chemical composition have favored the increase in its consumption worldwide, as well as a focus of research due to their bioactive properties. In this regard, seaweed proteins are nutritionally valuable and comprise several specific enzymes, glycoproteins, cell wall-attached proteins, red algae phycobiliproteins, lectins, peptides, or mycosporine-like amino acids. This great extent of molecules has been reported to exert significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, or antitumoral properties. Hence, knowledge on algae proteins and derived compounds have gained special interest for the potential nutraceutical, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries based on these bioactivities. Although several molecular mechanisms of action on how these proteins and peptides exert biological activities have been described, many gaps in knowledge still need to be filled. Updating the current knowledge related to seaweed proteins and peptides is of interest to further asses their potential health benefits. This review addresses the characteristics of seaweed protein and protein-derived molecules, their natural occurrence, their studied bioactive properties, and their described potential mechanisms of action.
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8
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Pedrini B, Finke AD, Marsh M, Luporini P, Vallesi A, Alimenti C. Crystal structure of the pheromone Er-13 from the ciliate Euplotes raikovi, with implications for a protein-protein association model in pheromone/receptor interactions. J Struct Biol 2021; 214:107812. [PMID: 34800649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the ciliate Euplotes raikovi, water-borne protein pheromones promote the vegetative cell growth and mating by competitively binding as autocrine and heterologous signals to putative cell receptors represented by membrane-bound pheromone isoforms. A previously determined crystal structure of pheromone Er-1 supported a pheromone/receptor binding model in which strong protein-protein interactions result from the cooperative utilization of two distinct types of contact interfaces that arrange molecules into linear chains, and these into two-dimensional layers. We have now determined the crystal structure of a new pheromone, Er-13, isolated from cultures that are strongly mating reactive withculturessource of pheromone Er-1.The comparison between the Er-1 and Er-13 crystal structuresreinforces the fundamental of the cooperative model of pheromone/receptor binding, in that the molecules arrange into linear chains taking a rigorously alternate opposite orientation reflecting the presumed mutual orientation of pheromone and receptor molecules on the cell surface. In addition, the comparison provides two new lines of evidence for a univocal rationalization of observations on the differentbehaviourbetween the autocrine and heterologous pheromone/receptor complexes. (i) In the Er-13 crystal, chains do not form layers which thus appear to be an over-structureunique tothe Er-1 crystal, not essential for the pheromone signalling mechanisms. (ii) In both crystal structures, the intra-chain interfaces are equally derived from burying amino-acid side-chains mostly residing on helix-3 of the three-helical pheromonefold. This helix is thus identified as the key structural motif underlying the pheromone activity, in line with its tight intra- and interspecificstructuralconservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill Pedrini
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Aaron D Finke
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland; Macromolecular X-ray Science, Cornell High-energy Synchrotron Source, 161 Synchrotron Drive, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - May Marsh
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Pierangelo Luporini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Adriana Vallesi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy.
| | - Claudio Alimenti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy.
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9
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Camus C, Solas M, Martínez C, Vargas J, Garcés C, Gil-Kodaka P, Ladah LB, Serrão EA, Faugeron S. Mates Matter: Gametophyte Kinship Recognition and Inbreeding in the Giant Kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:711-725. [PMID: 33583038 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Inbreeding, the mating between genetically related individuals, often results in reduced survival and fecundity of offspring, relative to outcrossing. Yet, high inbreeding rates are commonly observed in seaweeds, suggesting compensatory reproductive traits may affect the costs and benefits of the mating system. We experimentally manipulated inbreeding levels in controlled crossing experiments, using gametophytes from 19 populations of Macrocystis pyrifera along its Eastern Pacific coastal distribution (EPC). The objective was to investigate the effects of male-female kinship on female fecundity and fertility, to estimate inbreeding depression in the F1 progeny, and to assess the variability of these effects among different regions and habitats of the EPC. Results revealed that the presence and kinship of males had a significant effect on fecundity and fertility of female gametophytes. Females left alone or in the presence of sibling males express the highest gametophyte size, number, and size of oogonia, suggesting they were able to sense the presence and the identity of their mates before gamete contact. The opposite trend was observed for the production of embryos per female gametes, indicating higher costs of selfing and parthenogenesis than outcrossing on fertility. However, the increased fecundity compensated for the reduced fertility, leading to a stable overall reproductive output. Inbreeding also affected morphological traits of juvenile sporophytes, but not their heatwave tolerance. The male-female kinship effect was stronger in high-latitude populations, suggesting that females from low-latitude marginal populations might have evolved to mate with any male gamete to guarantee reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Camus
- Centro i~mar and CeBiB, Universidad de Los Lagos, Puerto Montt, Chile
| | - Maribel Solas
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Jaime Vargas
- Centro i~mar, Universidad de Los Lagos, Puerto Montt, Chile
| | | | | | - Lydia B Ladah
- Department of Biological Oceanography, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, México
| | | | - Sylvain Faugeron
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- UMI3614 Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Roscoff, France
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10
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Klapper F, Audoor S, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Pheromone Mediated Sexual Reproduction of Pennate Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:504-512. [PMID: 33914225 PMCID: PMC8217010 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-021-01277-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Benthic diatoms dominate primary production in marine subtidal and intertidal environments. Their extraordinary species diversity and ecological success is thought to be linked with their predominantly heterothallic sexual reproduction. Little is known about pheromone involvement during mating of pennate diatoms. Here we describe pheromone guided mating in the coastal raphid diatom Cylindrotheca closterium. We show that the two mating types (mt+ and mt−) have distinct functions. Similar to other benthic diatoms, mt+ cells are searching for the mt− cells to pair. To enhance mating efficiency mt− exudes an attraction pheromone which we proved by establishing a novel capillary assay. Further, two more pheromones produced by mt− promote the sexual events. One arrests the cell cycle progression of mt+ while the other induces gametogenesis of mt+. We suggest that C. closterium shares a functionally similar pheromone system with other pennate diatoms like Seminavis robusta and Pseudostaurosira trainorii which synchronize sexual events and mate attraction. Remarkably, we found no evidence of mt+ producing pheromones, which differentiates C. closterium from other pennates and suggests a less complex pheromone system in C. closterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Klapper
- Bioorganic Analytics, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Sien Audoor
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Bioorganic Analytics, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, 07743, Jena, Germany. .,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745, Jena, Germany.
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Jeong TY, Simpson MJ. Endocrine Disruptor Exposure Causes Infochemical Dysregulation and an Ecological Cascade from Zooplankton to Algae. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3845-3854. [PMID: 33617259 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disruption is intimately linked to controlling the population of pollutant-exposed organisms through reproduction and development dysregulation. This study investigated how endocrine disruption in a predator organism could affect prey species biology through infochemical communication. Daphnia magna and Chlorella vulgaris were chosen as model prey and predator planktons, respectively, and fenoxycarb was used for disrupting the endocrine system of D. magna. Hormones as well as endo- and exometabolomes were extracted from daphnids and algal cells and their culture media and analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Biomolecular perturbations of D. magna under impaired offspring production and hormone dysregulation were observed. Differential biomolecular responses of the prey C. vulgaris, indicating changes in methylation and infochemical communication, were subsequently observed under the exposure to predator culture media, containing infochemicals released from the reproducibly normal and abnormal D. magna, as results of fenoxycarb exposure. The observed cross-species transfer of the endocrine disruption consequences, initiated from D. magna, and mediated through infochemical communication, demonstrates a novel discovery and emphasizes the broader ecological risk of endocrine disruptors beyond reproduction disruption in target organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Yong Jeong
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C1A4, Canada
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Abstract
The complexity of animal microbiomes presents challenges to defining signaling molecules within the microbial consortium and between the microbes and the host. By focusing on the binary symbiosis between Vibrio fischeri and Euprymna scolopes, we have combined genetic analysis with direct imaging to define and study small molecules in the intact symbiosis. The lifelong relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes and its microbial symbiont Vibrio fischeri represents a simplified model system for studying microbiome establishment and maintenance. The bacteria colonize a dedicated symbiotic light organ in the squid, from which bacterial luminescence camouflages the host in a process termed counterillumination. The squid host hatches without its symbionts, which must be acquired from the ocean amidst a diversity of nonbeneficial bacteria, such that precise molecular communication is required for initiation of the specific relationship. Therefore it is likely there are specialized metabolites used in the light organ microenvironment to modulate these processes. To identify small molecules that may influence the establishment of this symbiosis, we used imaging mass spectrometry to analyze metabolite production in V. fischeri with altered biofilm production, which correlates directly to colonization capability in its host. “Biofilm-up” and “biofilm-down” mutants were compared to a wild-type strain, and ions that were more abundantly produced by the biofilm-up mutant were detected. Using a combination of structural elucidation and synthetic chemistry, one such signal was determined to be a diketopiperazine, cyclo(d-histidyl-l-proline). This diketopiperazine modulated luminescence in V. fischeri and, using imaging mass spectrometry, was directly detected in the light organ of the colonized host. This work highlights the continued need for untargeted discovery efforts in host-microbe interactions and showcases the benefits of the squid-Vibrio system for identification and characterization of small molecules that modulate microbiome behaviors.
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Vještica A, Bérard M, Liu G, Merlini L, Nkosi PJ, Martin SG. Cell cycle-dependent and independent mating blocks ensure fungal zygote survival and ploidy maintenance. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001067. [PMID: 33406066 PMCID: PMC7815208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure genome stability, sexually reproducing organisms require that mating brings together exactly 2 haploid gametes and that meiosis occurs only in diploid zygotes. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, fertilization triggers the Mei3-Pat1-Mei2 signaling cascade, which represses subsequent mating and initiates meiosis. Here, we establish a degron system to specifically degrade proteins postfusion and demonstrate that mating blocks not only safeguard zygote ploidy but also prevent lysis caused by aberrant fusion attempts. Using long-term imaging and flow-cytometry approaches, we identify previously unrecognized and independent roles for Mei3 and Mei2 in zygotes. We show that Mei3 promotes premeiotic S-phase independently of Mei2 and that cell cycle progression is both necessary and sufficient to reduce zygotic mating behaviors. Mei2 not only imposes the meiotic program and promotes the meiotic cycle, but also blocks mating behaviors independently of Mei3 and cell cycle progression. Thus, we find that fungi preserve zygote ploidy and survival by at least 2 mechanisms where the zygotic fate imposed by Mei2 and the cell cycle reentry triggered by Mei3 synergize to prevent zygotic mating. During sexual reproduction, fertilization must happen between exactly two gametes to ensure genome stability. This study shows that two mechanisms – establishment of zygotic fate and re-entry to the cell cycle – combine to prevent fission yeast zygotes fusing with further gametes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Vještica
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (AV); (SGM)
| | - Melvin Bérard
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gaowen Liu
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura Merlini
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Junior Nkosi
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sophie G. Martin
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (AV); (SGM)
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14
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Frongia F, Forti L, Arru L. Sound perception and its effects in plants and algae. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1828674. [PMID: 33048612 PMCID: PMC7671032 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1828674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Life evolved in an acoustic world. Sound is perceived in different ways by the species that inhabit the Planet. Among organisms, also some algal species seem to respond to sound stimuli with increased cell growth and productivity. The purpose of this Short Communication is to provide an overview of the current literature about various organisms and sound, with particular attention to algal organisms, which, when subjected to sound applications, can change their metabolism accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Frongia
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena/Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Luca Forti
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena/Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Laura Arru
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena/Reggio Emilia, Italy
- CONTACT Laura Arru Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena/Reggio Emilia, Italy
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15
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Mating type specific transcriptomic response to sex inducing pheromone in the pennate diatom Seminavis robusta. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 15:562-576. [PMID: 33028976 PMCID: PMC8027222 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00797-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is a fundamental phase in the life cycle of most diatoms. Despite its role as a source of genetic variation, it is rarely reported in natural circumstances and its molecular foundations remain largely unknown. Here, we integrate independent transcriptomic datasets to prioritize genes responding to sex inducing pheromones (SIPs) in the pennate diatom Seminavis robusta. We observe marked gene expression changes associated with SIP treatment in both mating types, including an inhibition of S phase progression, chloroplast division, mitosis, and cell wall formation. Meanwhile, meiotic genes are upregulated in response to SIP, including a sexually induced diatom specific cyclin. Our data further suggest an important role for reactive oxygen species, energy metabolism, and cGMP signaling during the early stages of sexual reproduction. In addition, we identify several genes with a mating type specific response to SIP, and link their expression pattern with physiological specialization, such as the production of the attraction pheromone diproline in mating type − (MT−) and mate-searching behavior in mating type + (MT+). Combined, our results provide a model for early sexual reproduction in pennate diatoms and significantly expand the suite of target genes to detect sexual reproduction events in natural diatom populations.
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16
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Vallesi A, Pucciarelli S, Buonanno F, Fontana A, Mangiagalli M. Bioactive molecules from protists: Perspectives in biotechnology. Eur J Protistol 2020; 75:125720. [PMID: 32569992 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2020.125720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
For hundreds of years, mankind has benefited from the natural metabolic processes of microorganisms to obtain basic products such as fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. More recently, microorganisms have been exploited for the production of antibiotics, vitamins and enzymes to be used in medicine and chemical industries. Additionally, several modern drugs, including those for cancer therapy, are natural products or their derivatives. Protists are a still underexplored source of natural products potentially of interest for biotechnological and biomedical applications. This paper focuses on some examples of bioactive molecules from protists and associated bacteria and their possible use in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Vallesi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino (MC), Italy.
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Camerino (MC), Italy.
| | - Federico Buonanno
- Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, Department of E.C.H.T. Università degli Studi di Macerata, Macerata, Italy
| | - Angelo Fontana
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Unit, CNR-Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Mangiagalli
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
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17
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Ebbing A, Pierik R, Bouma T, Kromkamp JC, Timmermans K. How light and biomass density influence the reproduction of delayed Saccharina latissima gametophytes (Phaeophyceae). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2020; 56:709-718. [PMID: 32108344 PMCID: PMC7318604 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Kelp life-cycle transitions are complex and susceptible to various (a)biotic controls. Understanding the microscopic part of the kelp's lifecycle is of key importance, as gametophytes form a critical phase influencing, among others, the distributional limits of the species. Many environmental controls have been identified that affect kelp gametogenesis, whose interactive effects can be subtle and counterintuitive. Here we performed a fully factorial experiment on the (interactive) influences of light intensity, light quality, and the Initial Gametophyte Density (IGD) on Saccharina latissima reproduction and vegetative growth of delayed gametophytes. A total of 144 cultures were followed over a period of 21 d. The IGD was a key determinant for reproductive success, with increased IGDs (≥0.04 mg DW · mL-1 ) practically halting reproduction. Interestingly, the effects of IGDs were not affected by nutrient availability, suggesting a resource-independent effect of density on reproduction. The Photosynthetically Usable Radiation (PUR), overarching the quantitative contribution of both light intensity and light quality, correlated with both reproduction and vegetative growth. The PUR furthermore specifies that the contribution of light quality, as a lifecycle control, is a matter of absorbed photon flux instead of color signaling. We hypothesize that (i) the number of photons absorbed, independent of their specific wavelength, and (ii) IGD interactions, independent of nutrient availability, are major determinants of reproduction in S. latissima gametophytes. These insights help understand kelp gametophyte development and dispersal under natural conditions, while also aiding the control of in vitro gametophyte cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Ebbing
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsNIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchPO Box 1404401 NTYersekeThe Netherlands
- Department Ocean EcosystemsUniversity of GroningenPO Box 729700 ABGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Ronald Pierik
- Department of BiologyUtrecht UniversityPadualaan 83584 CHUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Tjeerd Bouma
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsNIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchPO Box 1404401 NTYersekeThe Netherlands
- Department Ocean EcosystemsUniversity of GroningenPO Box 729700 ABGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jacco C. Kromkamp
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsNIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchPO Box 1404401 NTYersekeThe Netherlands
- Department Ocean EcosystemsUniversity of GroningenPO Box 729700 ABGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Klaas Timmermans
- Department of Estuarine and Delta SystemsNIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchPO Box 1404401 NTYersekeThe Netherlands
- Department Ocean EcosystemsUniversity of GroningenPO Box 729700 ABGroningenThe Netherlands
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18
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Dahlin LR, Gerritsen AT, Henard CA, Van Wychen S, Linger JG, Kunde Y, Hovde BT, Starkenburg SR, Posewitz MC, Guarnieri MT. Development of a high-productivity, halophilic, thermotolerant microalga Picochlorum renovo. Commun Biol 2019; 2:388. [PMID: 31667362 PMCID: PMC6811619 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0620-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Microalgae are promising biocatalysts for applications in sustainable fuel, food, and chemical production. Here, we describe culture collection screening, down-selection, and development of a high-productivity, halophilic, thermotolerant microalga, Picochlorum renovo. This microalga displays a rapid growth rate and high diel biomass productivity (34 g m-2 day-1), with a composition well-suited for downstream processing. P. renovo exhibits broad salinity tolerance (growth at 107.5 g L-1 salinity) and thermotolerance (growth up to 40 °C), beneficial traits for outdoor cultivation. We report complete genome sequencing and analysis, and genetic tool development suitable for expression of transgenes inserted into the nuclear or chloroplast genomes. We further evaluate mechanisms of halotolerance via comparative transcriptomics, identifying novel genes differentially regulated in response to high salinity cultivation. These findings will enable basic science inquiries into control mechanisms governing Picochlorum biology and lay the foundation for development of a microalga with industrially relevant traits as a model photobiology platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas R. Dahlin
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Alida T. Gerritsen
- Computational Science Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Calvin A. Henard
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Stefanie Van Wychen
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Jeffrey G. Linger
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Yuliya Kunde
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
| | - Blake T. Hovde
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
| | | | | | - Michael T. Guarnieri
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
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19
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Sauvey A, Claquin P, Le Roy B, Le Gac M, Fauchot J. Differential Influence of Life Cycle on Growth and Toxin Production of three Pseudo-nitzschia Species (Bacillariophyceae). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2019; 55:1126-1139. [PMID: 31250442 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We used a multistrain approach to study the intra- and interspecific variability of the growth rates of three Pseudo-nitzschia species - P. australis, P. fraudulenta, and P. pungens - and of their domoic acid (DA) production. We carried out mating and batch experiments to investigate the respective effects of strain age and cell size, and thus the influence of their life cycle on the physiology of these species. The cell size - life cycle relationship was characteristic of each species. The influence of age and cell size on the intraspecific variability of growth rates suggests that these characteristics should be considered cautiously for the strains used in physiological studies on Pseudo-nitzschia species. The results from all three species do not support the hypothesis of a decrease in DA production with time since isolation from natural populations. In P. australis, the cellular DA content was rather a function of cell size. More particularly, cells at the gametangia stage of their life cycle contained up to six times more DA than smaller or larger cells incapable of sexual reproduction. These findings reveal a link between P. australis life cycle and cell toxicity. This suggest that life cycle dynamics in Pseudo-nitzschia natural populations may influence bloom toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Sauvey
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, 14000, Caen, France
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, 14000, Caen, France
| | - Pascal Claquin
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, 14000, Caen, France
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, 14000, Caen, France
| | - Bertrand Le Roy
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, 14000, Caen, France
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, 14000, Caen, France
| | | | - Juliette Fauchot
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, 14000, Caen, France
- Unité Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, CNRS, IRD, 14000, Caen, France
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20
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Tandel J, English ED, Sateriale A, Gullicksrud JA, Beiting DP, Sullivan MC, Pinkston B, Striepen B. Life cycle progression and sexual development of the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:2226-2236. [PMID: 31477896 PMCID: PMC6877471 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of severe diarrhoeal disease and an important contributor to early childhood mortality. Currently, there are no fully effective treatments or vaccines available. Parasite transmission occurs through ingestion of oocysts, through either direct contact or consumption of contaminated water or food. Oocysts are meiotic spores and the product of parasite sex. Cryptosporidium has a single-host life cycle in which both asexual and sexual processes occur in the intestine of infected hosts. Here, we genetically engineered strains of Cryptosporidium to make life cycle progression and parasite sex tractable. We derive reporter strains to follow parasite development in culture and in infected mice and define the genes that orchestrate sex and oocyst formation through mRNA sequencing of sorted cells. After 2 d, parasites in cell culture show pronounced sexualization, but productive fertilization does not occur and infection falters. By contrast, in infected mice, male gametes successfully fertilize female parasites, which leads to meiotic division and sporulation. To rigorously test for fertilization, we devised a two-component genetic-crossing assay using a reporter that is activated by Cre recombinase. Our findings suggest obligate developmental progression towards sex in Cryptosporidium, which has important implications for the treatment and prevention of the infection. Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum is a leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease and childhood mortality worldwide. Using tools they recently developed to genetically engineer Cryptosporidium, the authors define life cycle stage-specific markers and generate reporter parasites, making life cycle progression and parasite sex tractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth D English
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel P Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan C Sullivan
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brittain Pinkston
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Franklin College of Arts and Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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21
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Cirri E, De Decker S, Bilcke G, Werner M, Osuna-Cruz CM, De Veylder L, Vandepoele K, Werz O, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Associated Bacteria Affect Sexual Reproduction by Altering Gene Expression and Metabolic Processes in a Biofilm Inhabiting Diatom. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1790. [PMID: 31428077 PMCID: PMC6688387 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Diatoms are unicellular algae with a fundamental role in global biogeochemical cycles as major primary producers at the base of aquatic food webs. In recent years, chemical communication between diatoms and associated bacteria has emerged as a key factor in diatom ecology, spurred by conceptual and technological advancements to study the mechanisms underlying these interactions. Here, we use a combination of physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches to study the influence of naturally co-existing bacteria, Maribacter sp. and Roseovarius sp., on the sexual reproduction of the biofilm inhabiting marine pennate diatom Seminavis robusta. While Maribacter sp. severely reduces the reproductive success of S. robusta cultures, Roseovarius sp. slightly enhances it. Contrary to our expectation, we demonstrate that the effect of the bacterial exudates is not caused by altered cell-cycle regulation prior to the switch to meiosis. Instead, Maribacter sp. exudates cause a reduced production of diproline, the sexual attraction pheromone of S. robusta. Transcriptomic analyses show that this is likely an indirect consequence of altered intracellular metabolic fluxes in the diatom, especially those related to amino acid biosynthesis, oxidative stress response, and biosynthesis of defense molecules. This study provides the first insights into the influence of bacteria on diatom sexual reproduction and adds a new dimension to the complexity of a still understudied phenomenon in natural diatom populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Cirri
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sam De Decker
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gust Bilcke
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Markus Werner
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Cristina Maria Osuna-Cruz
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven De Veylder
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Oliver Werz
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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22
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Abstract
The water flea Daphnia moves to deeper waters to avoid predators when it detects a chemical produced by fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Pohnert
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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23
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Lehtonen J, Parker GA. Evolution of the Two Sexes under Internal Fertilization and Alternative Evolutionary Pathways. Am Nat 2019; 193:702-716. [PMID: 31002575 DOI: 10.1086/702588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Transition from isogamy to anisogamy, hence males and females, leads to sexual selection, sexual conflict, sexual dimorphism, and sex roles. Gamete dynamics theory links biophysics of gamete limitation, gamete competition, and resource requirements for zygote survival and assumes broadcast spawning. It makes testable predictions, but most comparative tests use volvocine algae, which feature internal fertilization. We broaden this theory by comparing broadcast-spawning predictions with two plausible internal-fertilization scenarios: gamete casting/brooding (one mating type retains gametes internally, the other broadcasts them) and packet casting/brooding (one type retains gametes internally, the other broadcasts packets containing gametes, which are released for fertilization). Models show that predictions are remarkably robust to these radical changes, yielding (1) isogamy under low gamete limitation, low gamete competition, and similar required resources for gametes and zygotes, (2) anisogamy when gamete competition and/or limitation are higher and when zygotes require more resources than gametes, as is likely as multicellularity develops, (3) a positive correlation between multicellular complexity and anisogamy ratio, and (4) under gamete competition, only brooders becoming female. Thus, gamete dynamics theory represents a potent rationale for isogamy/anisogamy and makes similar testable predictions for broadcast spawners and internal fertilizers, regardless of whether anisogamy or internal fertilization evolved first.
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24
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Bondoc KGV, Lembke C, Lang SN, Germerodt S, Schuster S, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Decision-making of the benthic diatom Seminavis robusta searching for inorganic nutrients and pheromones. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:537-546. [PMID: 30301945 PMCID: PMC6331598 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0299-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms encounter a diversity of chemical stimuli that trigger individual responses and influence population dynamics. However, microbial behavior under the influence of different incentives and microbial decision-making is poorly understood. Benthic marine diatoms that react to sexual attractants as well as to nutrient gradients face such multiple constraints. Here, we document and model behavioral complexity and context-sensitive responses of these motile unicellular algae to sex pheromones and the nutrient silicate. Throughout the life cycle of the model diatom Seminavis robusta nutrient-starved cells localize sources of silicate by combined chemokinetic and chemotactic motility. However, with an increasing need for sex to restore the initial cell size, a change in behavior favoring the attraction-pheromone-guided search for a mating partner takes place. When sex becomes inevitable to prevent cell death, safeguard mechanisms are abandoned, and cells prioritize the search for mating partners. Such selection processes help to explain biofilm organization and to understand species interactions in complex communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Grace V Bondoc
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. .,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany. .,Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-8521, USA.
| | - Christine Lembke
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany.,Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Alte Fischerhütte 2, D-16775, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Stefan N Lang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Germerodt
- Department of Bioinformatics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Schuster
- Department of Bioinformatics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. .,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany.
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25
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Cirri E, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Biofilm interactions—bacteria modulate sexual reproduction success of the diatom Seminavis robusta. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:5074395. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Cirri
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
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Incomplete Reproductive Isolation Between Genetically Distinct Sympatric Clades of the Pennate Model Diatom Seminavis robusta. Protist 2018; 169:569-583. [DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lembke C, Stettin D, Speck F, Ueberschaar N, De Decker S, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Attraction Pheromone of The Benthic Diatom Seminavis robusta: Studies on Structure-Activity Relationships. J Chem Ecol 2018. [PMID: 29536294 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0944-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Recently the first pheromone of a marine diatom was identified to be the diketopiperazine (S,S)-diproline. This compound facilitates attraction between mating partners in the benthic diatom Seminavis robusta. Interestingly, sexualized S. robusta cells are attracted to both the natural pheromone (S,S)-diproline as well as to its enantiomer (R,R)-diproline. Usually stereospecificity is a prerequisite for successful substrate-receptor interactions, and especially pheromone perception is often highly enantioselective. Here we introduce a structure-activity relationship study, to learn more about the principles of pheromone reception in diatoms. We analyzed the activity of nine different diketopiperazines in attraction and interference assays. The pheromone diproline itself, as well as a pipecolic acid derived diketopiperazine with two expanded aliphatic ring systems, showed the highest attractivity. Hydroxylatoin of the aliphatic rings abolished any bioactivity. Diketopiperazines derived from acyclic amino acids were not attrative as well. All stereoisomers of both the diproline and the pipecolic acid derived diketopiperazine were purified by enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography, and application in bioactivity tests confirmed that attraction pheromone perception in this diatom is indeed not stereospecific. However, the lack of activity of diketopiperazines derived from acyclic amino acids suggests a specificity that prevents misguidance to sources of other naturally occurring diketopiperazines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Lembke
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Daniel Stettin
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Speck
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Nico Ueberschaar
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Sam De Decker
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. .,Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany.
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Venuleo M, Raven JA, Giordano M. Intraspecific chemical communication in microalgae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:516-530. [PMID: 28328079 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Contents 516 I. 516 II. 518 III. 518 IV. 521 V. 523 VI. 523 VII. 526 526 References 526 SUMMARY: The relevance of infochemicals in the relationships between organisms is emerging as a fundamental aspect of aquatic ecology. Exchanges of chemical cues are likely to occur not only between organisms of different species, but also between conspecific individuals. Especially intriguing is the investigation of chemical communication in microalgae, because of the relevance of these organisms for global primary production and their key role in trophic webs. Intraspecific communication between algae has been investigated mostly in relation to sexuality and mating. The literature also contains information on other types of intraspecific chemical communication that have not always been explicitly tagged as ways to communicate to conspecifics. However, the proposed role of certain compounds as intraspecific infochemicals appears questionable. In this article, we make use of this plethora of information to describe the various instances of intraspecific chemical communication between conspecific microalgae and to identify the common traits and ecological significance of intraspecific communication. We also discuss the evolutionary implications of intraspecific chemical communication and the mechanisms by which it can be inherited. A special focus is the genetic diversity among conspecific algae, including the possibility that genetic diversity is an absolute requirement for intraspecific chemical communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Venuleo
- Laboratory of Algal and Plant Physiology, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, Invergowrie, DD2 5DA, UK
- Functional Plant Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Mario Giordano
- Laboratory of Algal and Plant Physiology, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Algatech, 379 81, Trebon, Czech Republic
- National Research Council, Institute of Marine Science, 30122, Venice, Italy
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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. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 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] [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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Kinoshita N, Nagasato C, Motomura T. Phototaxis and chemotaxis of brown algal swarmers. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2017; 130:443-453. [PMID: 28271338 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0914-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Brown algae exhibit three patterns of sexual reproduction: isogamy, anisogamy, and oogamy. Unicellular swarmers including gametes and zoospores bear two heterogenous flagella, an anterior flagellum with mastigonemes (fine tripartite hairs) and a posterior one. In seawater, these flagellates usually receive physico-chemical signals for finding partners and good habitats. It is well known that brown algal swarmers change their swimming direction depending on blue light (phototaxis), and male gametes do so, based on the sex pheromones from female gametes (chemotaxis). In recent years, the comparative analysis of chemotaxis in isogamy, anisogamy, and oogamy has been conducted. In this paper, we focused on the phototaxis and chemotaxis of brown algal gametes comparing the current knowledge with our recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Chikako Nagasato
- Muroran Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Muroran, Hokkaido, 051-0013, Japan
| | - Taizo Motomura
- Muroran Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Muroran, Hokkaido, 051-0013, Japan.
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31
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Kinoshita N, Nagasato C, Motomura T. Chemotactic movement in sperm of the oogamous brown algae, Saccharina japonica and Fucus distichus. PROTOPLASMA 2017; 254:547-555. [PMID: 27108001 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-016-0974-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In oogamous species of brown algae such as Saccharina japonica and Fucus distichus, the sperm possess an unusual long posterior flagellum, which oscillates actively and produces a propulsive force during swimming. In this study, we quantitatively analyzed the effect of chemotactic responses on sperm swimming and flagellar waveforms by high-speed video recordings. We found that the thigmotactic response to the chemo-attractant was not enhanced during chemotactic swimming and that the swimming velocity of sperm did not decrease. As concentration of the chemo-attractant decreased, the sperm performed drastic U-turn movements, which was caused by a rapid and large bend of the posterior flagellum. Unilateral bending of the posterior flagellum when sensing a decrease in the concentration of the chemo-attractant may be a common response in male gametes during fertilization of brown algae both oogamous and isogamous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Chikako Nagasato
- Muroran Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Muroran, 051-0013, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Taizo Motomura
- Muroran Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Muroran, 051-0013, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Nieuwenhuis BPS, Immler S. The evolution of mating-type switching for reproductive assurance. Bioessays 2016; 38:1141-1149. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone Immler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
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33
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Bondoc KGV, Lembke C, Vyverman W, Pohnert G. Searching for a Mate: Pheromone-Directed Movement of the Benthic Diatom Seminavis robusta. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2016; 72:287-294. [PMID: 27260155 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0796-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Diatoms are species-rich microalgae that often have a unique life cycle with vegetative cell size reduction followed by size restoration through sexual reproduction of two mating types (MT(+) and MT(-)). In the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta, mate-finding is mediated by an L-proline-derived diketopiperazine, a pheromone produced by the attracting mating type (MT(-)). Here, we investigate the movement patterns of cells of the opposite mating type (MT(+)) exposed to a pheromone gradient, using video monitoring and statistical modeling. We report that cells of the migrating mating type (MT(+)) respond to pheromone gradients by simultaneous chemotaxis and chemokinesis. Changes in movement behavior enable MT(+) cells to locate the direction of the pheromone source and to maximize their encounter rate towards it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Grace V Bondoc
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Christine Lembke
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Georg Pohnert
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany.
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Luporini P, Pedrini B, Alimenti C, Vallesi A. Revisiting fifty years of research on pheromone signaling in ciliates. Eur J Protistol 2016; 55:26-38. [PMID: 27345662 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Among protists, pheromones have been identified in a great variety of algal species for their activity in driving gamete-gamete interactions for fertilization. Analogously in ciliates, pheromones have been identified for their activity in inducing the sexual phenomenon of conjugation. Although this identification was pioneered by Kimball more than fifty years ago, an effective isolation and chemical characterization of ciliate pheromones has remained confined to species of Blepharisma, Dileptus and Euplotes. In Euplotes species, in which the molecular structures have been determined, pheromones form species-specific families of structurally homologous helical, cysteine-rich, highly-stable proteins. Being structurally homologous, they can bind cells in competition with one another, raising interesting functional analogies with the families of growth factors and cytokines that regulate cell differentiation and development in higher organisms. In addition to inducing conjugation by binding cells in heterologous fashion, Euplotes pheromones act also as autocrine growth factors by binding to, and promoting the vegetative reproduction of the same cells from which they originate. This autocrine activity is most likely primary, providing a concrete example of how the original function of a molecule can be obscured during evolution by the acquisition of a new one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierangelo Luporini
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy.
| | - Bill Pedrini
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Alimenti
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Adriana Vallesi
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
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Abstract
Covering: January 2013 to online publication December 2014This review summarizes recent research in the chemical ecology of marine pelagic ecosystems, and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of advances in the field in the time period covered. In order to highlight the role of chemical cues and toxins in plankton ecology this review has been organized by ecological interaction types starting with intraspecific interactions, then interspecific interactions (including facilitation and mutualism, host-parasite, allelopathy, and predator-prey), and finally community and ecosystem-wide interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Schwartz
- School of Biology, Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230, USA.
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A sex-inducing pheromone triggers cell cycle arrest and mate attraction in the diatom Seminavis robusta. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19252. [PMID: 26786712 PMCID: PMC4726125 DOI: 10.1038/srep19252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although sexual reproduction is believed to play a major role in the high diversification rates and species richness of diatoms, a mechanistic understanding of diatom life cycle control is virtually lacking. Diatom sexual signalling is controlled by a complex, yet largely unknown, pheromone system. Here, a sex-inducing pheromone (SIP+) of the benthic pennate diatom Seminavis robusta was identified by comparative metabolomics, subsequently purified, and physicochemically characterized. Transcriptome analysis revealed that SIP+ triggers the switch from mitosis-to-meiosis in the opposing mating type, coupled with the transcriptional induction of proline biosynthesis genes, and the release of the proline-derived attraction pheromone. The induction of cell cycle arrest by a pheromone, chemically distinct from the one used to attract the opposite mating type, highlights the existence of a sophisticated mechanism to increase chances of mate finding, while keeping the metabolic losses associated with the release of an attraction pheromone to a minimum.
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Abstract
Chemical ecology elucidates the nature and role of natural products as mediators of organismal interactions. The emerging techniques that can be summarized under the concept of metabolomics provide new opportunities to study such environmentally relevant signaling molecules. Especially comparative tools in metabolomics enable the identification of compounds that are regulated during interaction situations and that might play a role as e.g. pheromones, allelochemicals or in induced and activated defenses. This approach helps overcoming limitations of traditional bioassay-guided structure elucidation approaches. But the power of metabolomics is not limited to the comparison of metabolic profiles of interacting partners. Especially the link to other -omics techniques helps to unravel not only the compounds in question but the entire biosynthetic and genetic re-wiring, required for an ecological response. This review comprehensively highlights successful applications of metabolomics in chemical ecology and discusses existing limitations of these novel techniques. It focuses on recent developments in comparative metabolomics and discusses the use of metabolomics in the systems biology of organismal interactions. It also outlines the potential of large metabolomics initiatives for model organisms in the field of chemical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Kuhlisch
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstr. 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
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Zhang N, Zhang L, Tao Y, Guo L, Sun J, Li X, Zhao N, Peng J, Li X, Zeng L, Chen J, Yang G. Construction of a high density SNP linkage map of kelp (Saccharina japonica) by sequencing Taq I site associated DNA and mapping of a sex determining locus. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:189. [PMID: 25887315 PMCID: PMC4369078 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1371-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kelp (Saccharina japonica) has been intensively cultured in China for almost a century. Its genetic improvement is comparable with that of rice. However, the development of its molecular tools is extremely limited, thus its genes, genetics and genomics. Kelp performs an alternative life cycle during which sporophyte generation alternates with gametophyte generation. The gametophytes of kelp can be cloned and crossed. Due to these characteristics, kelp may serve as a reference for the biological and genetic studies of Volvox, mosses and ferns. RESULTS We constructed a high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) linkage map for kelp by restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing. In total, 4,994 SNP-containing physical (tag-defined) RAD loci were mapped on 31 linkage groups. The map expanded a total genetic distance of 1,782.75 cM, covering 98.66% of the expected (1,806.94 cM). The length of RAD tags (85 bp) was extended to 400-500 bp with Miseq method, offering us an easiness of developing SNP chips and shifting SNP genotyping to a high throughput track. The number of linkage groups was in accordance with the documented with cytological methods. In addition, we identified a set of microsatellites (99 in total) from the extended RAD tags. A gametophyte sex determining locus was mapped on linkage group 2 in a window about 9.0 cM in width, which was 2.66 cM up to marker_40567 and 6.42 cM down to marker_23595. CONCLUSIONS A high density SNP linkage map was constructed for kelp, an intensively cultured brown alga in China. The RAD tags were also extended so that a SNP chip could be developed. In addition, a set of microsatellites were identified among mapped loci, and a gametophyte sex determining locus was mapped. This map will facilitate the genetic studies of kelp including for example the evaluation of germplasm and the decipherment of the genetic bases of economic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Linan Zhang
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Ye Tao
- Majorbio Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Li Guo
- Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Juan Sun
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Xia Li
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Nan Zhao
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Jie Peng
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Xiaojie Li
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-tech Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
| | - Liang Zeng
- Majorbio Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Jinsa Chen
- Majorbio Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Guanpin Yang
- Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Tholl D, Aharoni A. Small molecules: from structural diversity to signalling and regulatory roles. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 79:541-543. [PMID: 25116909 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Tholl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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