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Global gene expression of Prochlorococcus ecotypes in response to changes in nitrogen availability.

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) often limits biological productivity in the oceanic gyres where Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism. The Prochlorococcus community is composed of strains, such as MED4 and MIT9313, that have different N utilization capabilities and that belong to ecotypes with different depth distributions. An interstrain comparison of how Prochlorococcus responds to changes in ambient nitrogen is thus central to understanding its ecology. We quantified changes in MED4 and MIT9313 global mRNA expression, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosystem II photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) along a time series of increasing N starvation. In addition, the global expression of both strains growing in ammonium-replete medium was compared to expression during growth on alternative N sources. There were interstrain similarities in N regulation such as the activation of a putative NtcA regulon during N stress. There were also important differences between the strains such as in the expression patterns of carbon metabolism genes, suggesting that the two strains integrate N and C metabolism in fundamentally different ways.

SUBMITTER: Tolonen AC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1682016 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:We used cDNA microarray technology to compare the genome-wide expression profiles of a wild type strain (BY4700) (E02, E04, E06) or the isogenic strain deleted of GLN3 and GAT1 genes (E01, E03, E05) grown in YNB medium with glutamine as nitrogen source (M.Gln) against the wild type strain grown in M.Gln after addition of rapamacyn (20 min) (E01, E02), or M.proline (M.Pro) (E03, E04) or after a two hours shift from M.Gln to M.Pro (E05, E06), all growth conditions known to modify the expression of genes involved in nitrogen utilization. These microarrays allowed to identify the set of genes that were up or down-regulated in response to the quality of the nitrogen source. To evaluate whether the majority of genes responding to the nitrogen source were dependent on Gln3 and Gat1, we compared the expression profiles of the wild type strain and of the isogenic strain deleted of GLN3 and GAT1 genes (03167b: ura3, gln3â, gat1â), when both strains were grown on M.Gln + rapamycin (E07), or M.Pro (E08) or after a shift from M.Gln to M.Pro (E09). We also used an independent means of identifying Gln3-Gat1 regulated genes by comparing the expression profiles in wild type and ure2â (4709âURE2) strains on M.Gln medium (E10). The hybridization signal was measured using a GSM418 laser scanner. Image analysis for each array was processed using the GenePix Pro 4.0 (Axon Instruments, Inc.) software package, which measures fluorescence intensity pairs for each gene. Following image acquisition, a visual inspection of the individual spots on each microarray (size, signal-to-noise ratio, background level, and spot uniformity) completed the flagging (present/not present, good/bad) of the data. To maximize sensitivity two scans were made, one at high laser power and high PMT (Photo Multiplier Tube) gain to detect the faintest spots, and a second one using low laser power and a PMT gain avoiding saturation. The values for spots presenting â¥ 5% saturation in the first scan were calculated based on an extrapolation after linear regression analysis of the intensities from both scans. These data were then imported in the GeneSpring 7.1 (Silicon Genetics) software package, applying a per spot per chip intensity-dependent (Lowess) normalization for further analysis.

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Global gene expression of Prochlorococcus ecotypes in response to changes in nitrogen availability.

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