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Foresi N, De Marco MA, Del Castello F, Ramirez L, Nejamkin A, Calo G, Grimsley N, Correa-Aragunde N, Martínez-Noël GMA. The tiny giant of the sea, Ostreococcus's unique adaptations. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 211:108661. [PMID: 38735153 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Ostreococcus spp. are unicellular organisms with one of the simplest cellular organizations. The sequencing of the genomes of different Ostreococcus species has reinforced this status since Ostreococcus tauri has one most compact nuclear genomes among eukaryotic organisms. Despite this, it has retained a number of genes, setting it apart from other organisms with similar small genomes. Ostreococcus spp. feature a substantial number of selenocysteine-containing proteins, which, due to their higher catalytic activity compared to their selenium-lacking counterparts, may require a reduced quantity of proteins. Notably, O. tauri encodes several ammonium transporter genes, that may provide it with a competitive edge for acquiring nitrogen (N). This characteristic makes it an intriguing model for studying the efficient use of N in eukaryotes. Under conditions of low N availability, O. tauri utilizes N from abundant proteins or amino acids, such as L-arginine, similar to higher plants. However, the presence of a nitric oxide synthase (L-arg substrate) sheds light on a new metabolic pathway for L-arg in algae. The metabolic adaptations of O. tauri to day and night cycles offer valuable insights into carbon and iron metabolic configuration. O. tauri has evolved novel strategies to optimize iron uptake, lacking the classic components of the iron absorption mechanism. Overall, the cellular and genetic characteristics of Ostreococcus contribute to its evolutionary success, making it an excellent model for studying the physiological and genetic aspects of how green algae have adapted to the marine environment. Furthermore, given its potential for lipid accumulation and its marine habitat, it may represent a promising avenue for third-generation biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Foresi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas-UNMdP-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - María Agustina De Marco
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Leonor Ramirez
- Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andres Nejamkin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas-UNMdP-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo Calo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Nigel Grimsley
- CNRS, LBBM, Sorbonne Université OOB, 1 Avenue de Pierre Fabre, 66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Giselle M A Martínez-Noël
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología (INBIOTEC)-CONICET-FIBA, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
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2
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Walker EJL, Pampuch M, Chang N, Cochrane RR, Karas BJ. Design and assembly of the 117-kb Phaeodactylum tricornutum chloroplast genome. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:2217-2228. [PMID: 38114089 PMCID: PMC10980414 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
There is growing impetus to expand the repertoire of chassis available to synthetic biologists. Chloroplast genomes present an interesting alternative for engineering photosynthetic eukaryotes; however, development of the chloroplast as a synthetic biology chassis has been limited by a lack of efficient techniques for whole-genome cloning and engineering. Here, we demonstrate two approaches for cloning the 117-kb Phaeodactylum tricornutum chloroplast genome that have 90% to 100% efficiency when screening as few as 10 yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) colonies following yeast assembly. The first method reconstitutes the genome from PCR-amplified fragments, whereas the second method involves precloning these fragments into individual plasmids from which they can later be released. In both cases, overlapping fragments of the chloroplast genome and a cloning vector are homologously recombined into a singular contig through yeast assembly. The cloned chloroplast genome can be stably maintained and propagated within Escherichia coli, which provides an exciting opportunity for engineering a delivery mechanism for bringing DNA directly to the algal chloroplast. Also, one of the cloned genomes was designed to contain a single SapI site within the yeast URA3 (coding for orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase) open-reading frame, which can be used to linearize the genome and integrate designer cassettes via golden-gate cloning or further iterations of yeast assembly. The methods presented here could be extrapolated to other species-particularly those with a similar chloroplast genome size and architecture (e.g. Thalassiosira pseudonana).
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J L Walker
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Mark Pampuch
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Nelson Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ryan R Cochrane
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Bogumil J Karas
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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Russo MT, Rogato A, Jaubert M, Karas BJ, Falciatore A. Phaeodactylum tricornutum: An established model species for diatom molecular research and an emerging chassis for algal synthetic biology. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:1114-1122. [PMID: 37975560 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13400] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Diatoms are prominent and highly diverse microalgae in aquatic environments. Compared with other diatom species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum is an "atypical diatom" displaying three different morphotypes and lacking the usual silica shell. Despite being of limited ecological relevance, its ease of growth in the laboratory and well-known physiology, alongside the steady increase in genome-enabled information coupled with effective tools for manipulating gene expression, have meant it has gained increased recognition as a powerful experimental model for molecular research on diatoms. We here present a brief overview of how over the last 25 years P. tricornutum has contributed to the unveiling of fundamental aspects of diatom biology, while also emerging as a new tool for algal process engineering and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monia T Russo
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rogato
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, IBBR-CNR, Naples, Italy
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianne Jaubert
- UMR7141 Laboratoire de Biologie du chloroplaste et perception de la lumière chez les micro-algues, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Bogumil J Karas
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Angela Falciatore
- UMR7141 Laboratoire de Biologie du chloroplaste et perception de la lumière chez les micro-algues, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
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Garza EA, Bielinski VA, Espinoza JL, Orlandi K, Alfaro JR, Bolt TM, Beeri K, Weyman PD, Dupont CL. Validating a Promoter Library for Application in Plasmid-Based Diatom Genetic Engineering. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3215-3228. [PMID: 37857380 PMCID: PMC10661051 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
While diatoms are promising synthetic biology platforms, there currently exists a limited number of validated genetic regulatory parts available for genetic engineering. The standard method for diatom transformation, nonspecific introduction of DNA into chromosomes via biolistic particle bombardment, is low throughput and suffers from clonal variability and epigenetic effects. Recent developments in diatom engineering have demonstrated that autonomously replicating episomal plasmids serve as stable expression platforms for diverse gene expression technologies. These plasmids are delivered via bacterial conjugation and, when combined with modular DNA assembly technologies, provide a flexibility and speed not possible with biolistic-mediated strain generation. In order to expand the current toolbox for plasmid-based engineering in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, a conjugation-based forward genetics screen for promoter discovery was developed, and application to a diatom genomic DNA library defined 252 P. tricornutum promoter elements. From this library, 40 promoter/terminator pairs were delivered via conjugation on episomal plasmids, characterized in vivo, and ranked across 4 orders of magnitude difference in reporter gene expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. Garza
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | | | - Josh L. Espinoza
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Sato MP, Iwakami S, Fukunishi K, Sugiura K, Yasuda K, Isobe S, Shirasawa K. Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of an allotetraploid pernicious weed, Echinochloa phyllopogon. DNA Res 2023; 30:dsad023. [PMID: 37943179 PMCID: PMC10634394 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsad023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Echinochloa phyllopogon is an allotetraploid pernicious weed species found in rice fields worldwide that often exhibit resistance to multiple herbicides. An accurate genome sequence is essential to comprehensively understand the genetic basis underlying the traits of this species. Here, the telomere-to-telomere genome sequence of E. phyllopogon was presented. Eighteen chromosome sequences spanning 1.0 Gb were constructed using the PacBio highly fidelity long technology. Of the 18 chromosomes, 12 sequences were entirely assembled into telomere-to-telomere and gap-free contigs, whereas the remaining six sequences were constructed at the chromosomal level with only eight gaps. The sequences were assigned to the A and B genome with total lengths of 453 and 520 Mb, respectively. Repetitive sequences occupied 42.93% of the A genome and 48.47% of the B genome, although 32,337, and 30,889 high-confidence genes were predicted in the A and B genomes, respectively. This suggested that genome extensions and gene disruptions caused by repeated sequence accumulation often occur in the B genome before polyploidization to establish a tetraploid genome. The highly accurate and comprehensive genome sequence could be a milestone in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the pernicious traits and in developing effective weed control strategies to avoid yield loss in rice production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhiko P Sato
- Department of Frontier Research and Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Satoshi Iwakami
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kanade Fukunishi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kai Sugiura
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kentaro Yasuda
- Agri-Innovation Education and Research Center, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 010-0451, Japan
| | - Sachiko Isobe
- Department of Frontier Research and Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Kenta Shirasawa
- Department of Frontier Research and Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
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Wu Y, Tirichine L. Chromosome-Wide Distribution and Characterization of H3K36me3 and H3K27Ac in the Marine Model Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2852. [PMID: 37571007 PMCID: PMC10421102 DOI: 10.3390/plants12152852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Histone methylation and acetylation play a crucial role in response to developmental cues and environmental changes. Previously, we employed mass spectrometry to identify histone modifications such as H3K27ac and H3K36me3 in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which have been shown to be important for transcriptional activation in animal and plant species. To further investigate their evolutionary implications, we utilized chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and explored their genome-wide distribution in P. tricornutum. Our study aimed to determine their role in transcriptional regulation of genes and transposable elements (TEs) and their co-occurrence with other histone marks. Our results revealed that H3K27ac and H3K36me3 were predominantly localized in promoters and genic regions indicating a high conservation pattern with studies of the same marks in plants and animals. Furthermore, we report the diversity of genes encoding H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) trimethylation-specific methyltransferase in microalgae leveraging diverse sequencing resources including the Marine Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project database (MMETSP). Our study expands the repertoire of epigenetic marks in a model microalga and provides valuable insights into the evolutionary context of epigenetic-mediated gene regulation. These findings shed light on the intricate interplay between histone modifications and gene expression in microalgae, contributing to our understanding of the broader epigenetic landscape in eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leila Tirichine
- Nantes Université, CNRS, US2B, UMR 6286, F-44000 Nantes, France;
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Nymark M, Finazzi G, Volpe C, Serif M, Fonseca DDM, Sharma A, Sanchez N, Sharma AK, Ashcroft F, Kissen R, Winge P, Bones AM. Loss of CpFTSY Reduces Photosynthetic Performance and Affects Insertion of PsaC of PSI in Diatoms. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 64:583-603. [PMID: 36852859 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The chloroplast signal recognition particle (CpSRP) receptor (CpFTSY) is a component of the CpSRP pathway that post-translationally targets light-harvesting complex proteins (LHCPs) to the thylakoid membranes in plants and green algae containing chloroplasts derived from primary endosymbiosis. In plants, CpFTSY also plays a major role in the co-translational incorporation of chloroplast-encoded subunits of photosynthetic complexes into the thylakoids. This role has not been demonstrated in green algae. So far, its function in organisms with chloroplasts derived from secondary endosymbiotic events has not been elucidated. Here, we report the generation and characterization of mutants lacking CpFTSY in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. We found that this protein is not involved in inserting LHCPs into thylakoid membranes, indicating that the post-translational part of the CpSRP pathway is not active in this group of microalgae. The lack of CpFTSY caused an increased level of photoprotection, low electron transport rates, inefficient repair of photosystem II (PSII), reduced growth, a strong decline in the PSI subunit PsaC and upregulation of proteins that might compensate for a non-functional co-translational CpSRP pathway during light stress conditions. The phenotype was highly similar to the one described for diatoms lacking another component of the co-translational CpSRP pathway, the CpSRP54 protein. However, in contrast to cpsrp54 mutants, only one thylakoid membrane protein, PetD of the Cytb6f complex, was downregulated in cpftsy. Our results point to a minor role for CpFTSY in the co-translational CpSRP pathway, suggesting that other mechanisms may partially compensate for the effect of a disrupted CpSRP pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Nymark
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
- Department of Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry, SINTEF Ocean, Trondheim 7010, Norway
| | - Giovanni Finazzi
- Cell & Plant Physiology Laboratory, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAE, IRIG, LPCV, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Charlotte Volpe
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
- Department of Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry, SINTEF Ocean, Trondheim 7010, Norway
| | - Manuel Serif
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Davi de Miranda Fonseca
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
- Proteomics and Modomics Experimental Core Facility (PROMEC), NTNU and Central Administration, St. Olavs Hospital, The University Hospital in Trondheim, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Animesh Sharma
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
- Proteomics and Modomics Experimental Core Facility (PROMEC), NTNU and Central Administration, St. Olavs Hospital, The University Hospital in Trondheim, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Nicolas Sanchez
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Amit Kumar Sharma
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Felicity Ashcroft
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Ralph Kissen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Per Winge
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Atle Magnar Bones
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
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Diamond A, Diaz-Garza AM, Li J, Slattery SS, Merindol N, Fantino E, Meddeb-Mouelhi F, Karas BJ, Barnabé S, Desgagné-Penix I. Instability of extrachromosomal DNA transformed into the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. ALGAL RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2023.102998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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