Genomic copy number variability at the genus, species and population levels impacts in situ ecological analyses of dinoflagellates and harmful algal blooms.

ABSTRACT: The application of meta-barcoding, qPCR, and metagenomics to aquatic eukaryotic microbial communities requires knowledge of genomic copy number variability (CNV). CNV may be particularly relevant to functional genes, impacting dosage and expression, yet little is known of the scale and role of CNV in microbial eukaryotes. Here, we quantify CNV of rRNA and a gene involved in Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (PST) synthesis (sxtA4), in 51 strains of 4 Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) species. Genomes varied up to threefold within species and ~7-fold amongst species, with the largest (A. pacificum, 130 ± 1.3 pg cell^-1 /~127 Gbp) in the largest size category of any eukaryote. Genomic copy numbers (GCN) of rRNA varied by 6 orders of magnitude amongst Alexandrium (10²- 10⁸ cop

SUBMITTER: Ruvindy R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10329664 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature