Genomic Insights in Processes Driving the Infection of Alexandrium tamarense by the Parasitoid Amoebophrya sp.

Genomic Insights in Processes Driving the Infection of Alexandrium tamarense by the Parasitoid Amoebophrya sp.

Eukaryot Cell. 2014 Sep 19;

Authors: Lu Y, Wohlrab S, Glöckner G, Guillou L, John U

Abstract
The regulatory circuits during infection of dinoflagellates by their parasites are largely unknown on the molecular level. Here we provide molecular insights into these infection dynamics. Alexandrium tamarense is one of the most prominent Harmful Algal Bloom dinoflagellate. Its pathogen, the dinoflagellate parasitoid Amoebophrya spp., has been observed to infect and control the blooms of this species. We generated a dataset of transcripts from three time points during the infection of this parasite-host system (0, 6 and 96 hours). Assembly of all transcript data from the parasitoid (>900.000 reads/313MBp with 454/Roche NGS) yielded 14,455 contigs, to which we mapped the raw transcript reads of each time point of the infection cycle. We show that particular surface lectins are expressed at the beginning of the infection cycle, which likely mediate the attachment to the host cell. In a later phase signal transduction related genes together with transmembrane transport and cytoskeleton proteins point to a high integration of processes involved in host recognition, adhesion, and invasion. At the final maturation stage, cell division and proliferation related genes were highly expressed, reflecting the fast cell growth and nuclear division of the parasitoid. Our molecular insights in dinoflagellate parasitoid interaction point to general mechanisms also known from other eukaryotic parasites, especially from the Alveolata. These similarities indicate the presence of fundamental processes of parasitoid infection that have remained stable throughout evolution within different phyla.

PMID: 25239978 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]