Project description:The Xenopus genus is well known for the high degree of polyploidy observed in its constituent species, but there is minimal information about transcriptional changes observed in these highly polyploid vertebrates. Xenopus andrei, an octoploid species within the Xenopus genus, presents a novel system for assessing a polyploid transcriptome during vertebrate development. RNA-Seq data was generated at nine different developmental stages ranging from unfertilized eggs through late tailbud stages. Additionally, using Trinity, RNA-seq data from all nine stages was pooled to create a draft de novo assembly of the transcriptome. This represents the first published assembly of an octoploid vertebrate transcriptome. This RNA-Seq and transcriptome data will be useful in comparing polyploid transcriptomes across Xenopus species, as well as understanding evolutionary implications of whole-genome duplication in vertebrates.
Project description:Collimonas is a genus of soil bacteria which comprises three recognized species: C. fungivorans, C. pratensis and C. arenae. The bacteria belonging to this genus share the ability to lyse chitin (chitinolysis) and feed on living fungal hyphae (mycophagy), but they differ in colony morphology, physiological properties and antifungal activity. In order to gain a better insight into the genetic background underlying this phenotypic variability of collimonads, we investigated the variability in the genomic content of five strains representing the three formally recognized Collimonas species. The genomic content of four test strains was hybridized on an array representing the reference strain C. fungivorans Ter331.
Project description:Unicellular marine algae have promise for providing sustainable and scalable biofuel feedstocks, although no single species has emerged as a preferred organism. Moreover, adequate molecular and genetic resources prerequisite for the rational engineering of marine algal feedstocks are lacking for most candidate species. Heterokonts of the genus Nannochloropsis naturally have high cellular oil content and are already in use for industrial production of high value lipid products. First success in applying reverse genetics makes Nannochloropsis species attractive models to investigate the cell and molecular biology and biochemistry of this fascinating organism group. (Principle findings) Here we present the assembly of the 28.7 Mb genome of Nannochloropsis oceanica CCMP1779. RNA sequencing data from N-replete and N-depleted growth conditions support a total of 11,973 genes, which in addition to automatic annotation were manually inspected to predict the biochemical repertoire for this organism. Among others, more than 100 genes putatively related to lipid metabolism, 114 predicted transcription factors and 109 transcriptional regulators were annotated. In addition, we provide protocols for the transformation of the sequenced strain. (Significance) The availability of genomic and transcriptomic data for Nannochloropsis oceanica CCMP1779, along with efficient transformation protocols provides a blueprint for future detailed gene functional analysis and phylogenetic comparison of Nannochloropsis species by a growing academic community focused on this genus. one sample each of nitrogen-replete and nitrogen-depleted conditions