Whole-genome expression profiling of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana identifies genes involved in silicon bioprocesses.

ABSTRACT: Formation of complex inorganic structures is widespread in nature. Diatoms create intricately patterned cell walls of inorganic silicon that are a biomimetic model for design and generation of three-dimensional silica nanostructures. To date, only relatively simple silica structures can be generated in vitro through manipulation of known diatom phosphoproteins (silaffins) and long-chain polyamines. Here, we report the use of genome-wide transcriptome analyses of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana to identify additional candidate gene products involved in the biological manipulation of silicon. Whole-genome oligonucleotide tiling arrays and tandem mass spectrometry identified transcripts for >8,000 genes, approximately 3,000 of which were not previously described and included noncod

SUBMITTER: Mock T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2234187 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature