Project description:To identify the molecular components involved in diatom cell division, global transcript level changes were monitored over the silicon-synchronized cell cycle the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana.
Project description:Transcript levels of all T. pseudonana genes was measured every twelve hours throughout the batch (non-chemostatic) growth of axenic cells grown in large glass bioreactors on a 12hr:12hr dark:light cycle for five days. The data were analyzed to reveal the physiological and regulatory changes that recurred in this diatom when transitioning between dark and light conditions, as well as from exponential phase to stationary, nutrient limited conditions. The longitudinal experiment was performed with two replicates, at 400 and 800ppm CO2.
Project description:Phytoplankton-bacteria interactions are pivotal in marine ecosystems, influencing primary production and biogeochemical cycles. Diatoms engage in diverse relationships with bacteria, ranging from mutualism to pathogenicity. This study explores the interaction between a novel Alteromonas macleodii strain from the Equatorial Pacific and the model Thalassiosira pseudonana across the diatom different growth phases. We demonstrate that A. macleodii’s algicidal activity depends on the diatom’s growth phase, defensive capacity, and nutrient availability. The algicidal effect manifests during the diatom’s stationary phase or with external nutrient supplementation, implicating organic matter availability as a key driver. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that A. macleodii shifts from motility-associated to growth-associated gene expression based on the diatom’s physiology and coculture duration. Filtrate assays and fluorescence microscopy suggest a two-stage infection model: initial bacterial motility and exudate secretion induce diatom death, followed by bacterial aggregation around debris. Comparative transcriptomics with other algal hosts highlights host-specific bacterial responses, underscoring the context-dependent nature of these interactions. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving diatom-bacteria interactions, shedding light on their role in marine microbial ecology and ecosystem functioning.
Project description:To characterize the transcript level component of metabolic regulation, genome-wide transcript level changes were documented in the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana over a time-course of silicon starvation. Growth, cell cycle progression, chloroplast replication, fatty acid composition, pigmentation, and photosynthetic parameters were characterized alongside lipid accumulation. Extensive coordination of large suites of genes was observed, highlighting the existence of clusters of co-regulated genes as a key feature of global gene regulation in T. pseudonana. The identity of key enzymes for carbon metabolic pathway inputs (photosynthesis) and outputs (growth and storage) reveals these clusters are organized to synchronize these processes.
Project description:T. pseudonana tiling arrays were used to validate gene models and to predict new genes in the genome of this diatom. The tiling array data validated transcription of about 41% (4,653) of the 11,390 computationally predicted genes. An additional 1,132 transcripts were identified that did not correspond to modeled genes with few of these transcripts (<17%) predicted to encode proteins with homology (e-value < 10-05) to publicly available proteins. These newly identified transcripts have an average length of 1,549 bp, comparable to the average length of the computationally derived genes. Whole genome tiling arrays were conducted under silicon replete and deplete growth conditions to identify new genes involved in the synthesis of the diatom silica cell wall. Keywords: silicon, stress response, cell wall
Project description:Transcriptomic profiling of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana at normal and elevated CO2 levels and at normal and elevated light levels. Common reference total RNA (Agilent Quick-Amp Cy3-labeled) was used in all arrays as an internal standard.
Project description:Phytoplankton and bacteria form the base of marine ecosystems and their interactions drive global biogeochemical cycles. The effect of bacteria and bacteria-produced compounds on diatoms range from synergistic to pathogenic and can affect the physiology and transcriptional patterns of the interacting diatom. Here, we investigate physiological and transcriptional changes in the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana induced by extracellular metabolites of a known antagonistic bacterium Croceibacter atlanticus. Mono-cultures of C. atlanticus released compounds that inhibited diatom cell division and elicited a distinctive phenotype of enlarged cells with multiple plastids and nuclei, similar to what was observed when the diatom was co-cultured with the live bacteria. The extracellular C. atlanticus metabolites induced transcriptional changes in diatom pathways that include recognition and signaling pathways, cell cycle regulation, carbohydrate and amino acid production, as well as cell wall stability. Phenotypic analysis showed a disruption in the diatom cell cycle progression and an increase in both intra- and extracellular carbohydrates in diatom cultures after bacterial exudate treatment. The transcriptional changes and corresponding phenotypes suggest that extracellular bacterial metabolites, produced independently of direct bacterial-diatom interaction, may modulate diatom metabolism in ways that support bacterial growth.