June 2023 archive

The marine, bloom-forming dinoflagellate Prorocentrum cordatum CCMP 1329 (formerly P. minimum) has a genome atypical of eukaryotes, with a large size of ~4.15 Gbp, organized in plentiful, highly condensed chromosomes and packed in a dinoflagellate-specific nucleus (dinokaryon). Here, we apply microscopic and proteogenomic approaches to obtain new insights into this enigmatic nucleus of axenic P. cordatum. High-resolution focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy analysis of the flattened…

Peridinin-containing dinoflagellate plastomes are predominantly encoded in nuclear genomes, with less than 20 essential chloroplast proteins carried on “minicircles”. Each minicircle generally carries one gene and a short non-coding region (NCR) with a median length of approximately 400-1000 bp. We report here differential nuclease sensitivity and two-dimensional southern blot patterns, suggesting that dsDNA minicircles are in fact the minor forms, with substantial DNA:RNA hybrids (DRHs)….

Peridinin-containing dinoflagellate plastomes are predominantly encoded in nuclear genomes, with less than 20 essential chloroplast proteins carried on “minicircles”. Each minicircle generally carries one gene and a short non-coding region (NCR) with a median length of approximately 400-1000 bp. We report here differential nuclease sensitivity and two-dimensional southern blot patterns, suggesting that dsDNA minicircles are in fact the minor forms, with substantial DNA:RNA hybrids (DRHs)….

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) offer insight into the evolutionary histories and hosts of contemporary viruses. This study leveraged DNA metagenomics and genomics to detect and infer the host of a non-retroviral dinoflagellate-infecting +ssRNA virus (dinoRNAV) common in coral reefs. As part of the Tara Pacific Expedition, this study surveyed 269 newly sequenced cnidarians and their resident symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae), associated metabarcodes, and publicly available…

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) offer insight into the evolutionary histories and hosts of contemporary viruses. This study leveraged DNA metagenomics and genomics to detect and infer the host of a non-retroviral dinoflagellate-infecting +ssRNA virus (dinoRNAV) common in coral reefs. As part of the Tara Pacific Expedition, this study surveyed 269 newly sequenced cnidarians and their resident symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae), associated metabarcodes, and publicly available…