Category: Dinoflagellate genomics

Putative genome features of relic green alga-derived nuclei in dinoflagellates and future perspectives as model organisms.
Commun Integr Biol. 2020 Jun 21;13(1):84-88
Authors: Nakayama T, Takahashi K, Kamikawa R,…

Nucleomorphs, relic endosymbiont nuclei, have been studied as a model to elucidate the evolutionary process of integrating a eukaryotic endosymbiont into a host cell organelle. Recently, we reported two new dinoflagellates possessing nucleomorphs, and proposed them as new models in this research field based on the following findings: genome integration processes are incomplete, and the origins of the endosymbiont lineages were pinpointed. Here, we focused on the nucleomorph genome features in…

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Differential expression of Exaiptasia pallida GIMAP genes upon induction of apoptosis and autophagy suggests a potential role in cnidarian symbiosis and disease.
J Exp Biol. 2020 Sep 24;:
Authors: B…

Coral reefs, one of the world’s most productive and diverse ecosystems, are currently threatened by a variety of stressors that result in increased prevalence of both bleaching and disease. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in these responses is critical to mitigate future damage to the reefs. One group of genes that is potentially involved in cnidarian immunity and symbiosis is GTPases of immunity associated proteins (GIMAP). In vertebrates, this family of proteins is…

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Limnobacter alexandrii sp. nov., a thiosulfate-oxidizing, heterotrophic and EPS-bearing Burkholderiaceae isolated from cultivable phycosphere microbiota of toxic Alexandrium catenella LZT09.
Antonie Van Lee…

A novel Gram-negative, aerobic, motile and short rod-shaped bacterium with exopolysaccharides production, designated as LZ-4^(T), was isolated from cultivable phycosphere microbiota of harmful algal blooms-causing marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella LZT09 which produces paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins. Strain LZ-4^(T) was able to use thiosulfate (optimum concentration 10 mM) as energy source for bacterial growth. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that…

Methylation pattern and expression dynamics of methylase and photosystem genes under varied light intensities in Fugacium kawagutii (Symbiodiniaceae).
J Phycol. 2020 Sep 13;:
Authors: Yang F, Li L, Lin S
Ab…

Previous studies have documented extensive methylation of CpG islands and abundant methyltransferase gene (DNMT) in Fugacium kawagutii (formerly Symbiodinium kawagutii) genome. However, whether DNA methylation plays a role in regulating gene expression in this and other dinoflagellates remains unclear. Here, we characterized gene body methylation levels using methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) and measured transcriptional levels for three photosystem genes in F….

Coral evolutionary responses to microbial symbioses.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2020 Sep 28;375(1808):20190591
Authors: van Oppen MJH, Medina M
Abstract
This review explores how microbial s…

This review explores how microbial symbioses may have influenced and continue to influence the evolution of reef-building corals (Cnidaria; Scleractinia). The coral holobiont comprises a diverse microbiome including dinoflagellate algae (Dinophyceae; Symbiodiniaceae), bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses, but here we focus on the Symbiodiniaceae as knowledge of the impact of other microbial symbionts on coral evolution is scant. Symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae has extended the coral’s metabolic…