Transcriptional responses of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) to thermal, bisphenol A, and copper stresses in the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (original) (raw)

Assessing nucleic acid binding activity of four dinoflagellate cold shock domain proteins from Symbiodinium kawagutii and Lingulodinium polyedra

2021

Background Dinoflagellates have a generally large number of genes but only a small percentage of these are annotated as transcription factors. Cold shock domain (CSD) containing proteins (CSPs) account for roughly 60% of these. CSDs are not prevalent in other eukaryotic lineages, perhaps suggesting a lineage-specific expansion of this type of transcription factors in dinoflagellates, but there is little experimental data to support a role for dinoflagellate CSPs as transcription factors. Here we evaluate the hypothesis that dinoflagellate CSPs can act as transcription factors by binding double-stranded DNA in a sequence dependent manner. Results We find that both electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) competition experiments and selection and amplification binding (SAAB) assays indicate binding is not sequence specific for four different CSPs from two dinoflagellate species. Competition experiments indicate all four CSPs bind to RNA better than double-stranded DNA. Conclusion D...

Gene expression profiles of cytosolic heat shock proteins Hsp70 and Hsp90 from symbiotic dinoflagellates in response to thermal stress: possible implications for coral bleaching

Cell Stress and Chaperones, 2011

Unicellular photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium are the most common endosymbionts of reef-building scleractinian corals, living in a symbiotic partnership known to be highly susceptible to environmental changes such as hyperthermic stress. In this study, we identified members of two major heat shock proteins (HSPs) families, Hsp70 and Hsp90, in Symbiodinium sp. (clade C) with full-length sequences that showed the highest similarity and evolutionary relationship with other known HSPs from dinoflagellate protists. Regulation of HSPs gene expression was examined in samples of the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora subjected to elevated temperatures progressively over 18 h (fast) and 120 h (gradual thermal stress). Moderate to severe heat stress at 26°C and 29°C (+3°C and +6°C above average sea temperature) resulted in an increase in algal Hsp70 gene expression from 39% to 57%, while extreme heat stress (+9°C) reduced Hsp70 transcript abundance by 60% (after 18 h) and 70% (after 120 h). Elevated temperatures decreased an Hsp90 expression under both rapid and gradual heat stress scenarios. Comparable Hsp70 and Hsp90 gene expression patterns were observed in Symbiodinium cultures and in hospite, indicating their independent regulation from the host. Differential gene expression profiles observed for Hsp70 and Hsp90 suggests diverse roles of these molecular chaperones during heat stress response. Reduced expression of the Hsp90 gene under heat stress can indicate a reduced role in inhibiting the heat shock transcription factor which may lead to activation of heat-inducible genes and heat acclimation.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular response to heat stress in a “red tide” dinoflagellate

Dinoflagellates are a large, ecologically important phylum of marine unicellular algae. Their huge genomes make it highly challenging to decipher the genetic basis of key processes such 29 as harmful algal bloom (HAB) formation and response to warming oceans. To address these 30 issues, we generated a high quality genome assembly from Prorocentrum cordatum, a 31 globally abundant, HAB forming dinoflagellate. Our analyses demonstrate massive 32 expansion of the gene inventory to 85,849 predicted genes, primarily driven by unusually 33

Characterization of Two Dinoflagellate Cold Shock Domain Proteins

mSphere, 2016

ABSTRACTRoughly two-thirds of the proteins annotated as transcription factors in dinoflagellate transcriptomes are cold shock domain-containing proteins (CSPs), an uncommon condition in eukaryotic organisms. However, no functional analysis has ever been reported for a dinoflagellate CSP, and so it is not known if they do in fact act as transcription factors. We describe here some of the properties of two CSPs from the dinoflagellateLingulodinium polyedrum,LpCSP1 andLpCSP2, which contain a glycine-rich C-terminal domain and an N-terminal cold shock domain phylogenetically related to those in bacteria. However, neither of the twoLpCSPs act like the bacterial CSP, since they do not functionally complement theEscherichia coliquadruple cold shock domain protein mutant BX04, and cold shock does not induceLpCSP1 andLpCSP2 to detectable levels, based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Both CSPs bind to RNA and single-stranded DNA in a nonspecific manner in electrophoretic mobility shif...

Current Knowledge and Recent Advances in Marine Dinoflagellate Transcriptomic Research

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Dinoflagellates are essential components in marine ecosystems, and they possess two dissimilar flagella to facilitate movement. Dinoflagellates are major components of marine food webs and of extreme importance in balancing the ecosystem energy flux in oceans. They have been reported to be the primary cause of harmful algae bloom (HABs) events around the world, causing seafood poisoning and therefore having a direct impact on human health. Interestingly, dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium are major components of coral reef foundations. Knowledge regarding their genes and genome organization is currently limited due to their large genome size and other genetic and cytological characteristics that hinder whole genome sequencing of dinoflagellates. Transcriptomic approaches and genetic analyses have been employed to unravel the physiological and metabolic characteristics of dinoflagellates and their complexity. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and findings from transcriptomic studies to understand the cell growth, effects on environmental stress, toxin biosynthesis, dynamic of HABs, phylogeny and endosymbiosis of dinoflagellates. With the advancement of high throughput sequencing technologies and lower cost of sequencing, transcriptomic approaches will likely deepen our understanding in other aspects of dinoflagellates' molecular biology such as gene functional analysis, systems biology and development of model organisms.

The Impact of Temperature Stress on DNA and RNA Synthesis in Potentially Toxic Dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology, 2018

Biomarkers of temperature stress were studied as major characteristics crucial for the understanding complex processes that underlie the response of marine planktonic microorganisms to environmental factors and their sublethal effects. Using the potentially toxic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum minimum as a model object, the impact of temperature stress on viability, cell cycle, RNA synthesis and DNA replication in these protists was evaluated. It was shown by flow cytometry that stress evoked by a temperature increase from 25°C (control) to 37 or 42°C during 15 to 60 min did not cause any considerable alterations in the cell cycle, while cell death rate increased from ≤ 1% (control) to 2-12% at 37°C and 4-22% at 42°C. Along with a relatively low cell death rate, following a temperature increase to 37 and/or 42°C, P. minimum displayed the ability to boost the synthesis of DNA (1.7-1.9 and 1.2-1.6 times, respectively) and especially RNA (2.5-3.1 and 1.7-2.8 times, respectively) during the first 15-30 min after stress. At certain stages of the life cycle, this effect can be critical for maintaining the viability and normal development of the P. minimum population. The obtained results demonstrate that a significantly elevated synthesis of nucleic acids can serve as an indicator (biomarker) of sublethal environmental stress.

Validation of Housekeeping Genes for Gene Expression Studies in Symbiodinium Exposed to Thermal and Light Stress

Marine Biotechnology, 2011

Unicellular photosynthetic algae (dinoflagellate) from the genus Symbiodinium live in mutualistic symbiosis with reef-building corals. Cultured Symbiodinium sp. (clade C) were exposed to a range of environmental stresses that included elevated temperatures (29°C and 32°C) under high (100 μmol quanta m −2 s −1 Photosynthetic Active Radiation) and low (10 μmol quanta m −2 s −1 ) irradiances. Using realtime RT-PCR the stability of expression for the nine selected putative housekeeping genes (HKGs) was tested. The most stable expression pattern was identified for cyclophilin and S-adenosyl methionine synthetase (SAM) followed by S4 ribosomal protein (Rp-S4), Calmodulin (Cal), and Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (Cox), respectively. Thermal stress alone resulted in the highest expression stability for Rp-S4 and SAM, with a minimum of two reference genes required for data normalization. For Symbiodinium exposed to both, light and thermal stresses, at least five reference genes were recommended by geNorm analysis. In parallel, the expression of Hsp90 for Symbiodinium in culture and in symbiosis within coral host (Acropora millepora) was evaluated using the most stable HKGs. Our results revealed a drop in Hsp90 expression after an 18 h-period and a 24 h-period of exposure to elevated temperatures indicating the similar Hsp90 expression profile in symbiotic and non-symbiotic environments. This study provides the first list of the HKGs and will provide a useful reference in future gene expression studies in symbiotic dinoflagellates.

Genomic understanding of dinoflagellates

The phylum of dinoflagellates is characterized by many unusual and interesting genomic and physiological features, the imprint of which, in its immense genome, remains elusive. Much novel understanding has been achieved in the last decade on various aspects of dinoflagellate biology, but most remarkably about the structure, expression pattern and epigenetic modification of protein-coding genes in the nuclear and organellar genomes. Major findings include: 1) the great diversity of dinoflagellates, especially at the base of the dinoflagellate tree of life; 2) mini-circularization of the genomes of typical dinoflagellate plastids (with three membranes, chlorophylls a, c1 and c2, and carotenoid peridinin), the scrambled mitochondrial genome and the extensive mRNA editing occurring in both systems; 3) ubiquitous spliced leader transsplicing of nuclear-encoded mRNA and demonstrated potential as a novel tool for studying dinoflagellate transcriptomes in mixed cultures and natural assemblages; 4) existence and expression of histones and other nucleosomal proteins; 5) a ribosomal protein set expected of typical eukaryotes; 6) genetic potential of non-photosynthetic solar energy utilization via proton-pump rhodopsin; 7) gene candidates in the toxin synthesis pathways; and 8) evidence of a highly redundant, high gene number and highly recombined genome. Despite this progress, much more work awaits genome-wide transcriptome and whole genome sequencing in order to unfold the molecular mechanisms underlying the numerous mysterious attributes of dinoflagellates.

Insights into a dinoflagellate genome through expressed sequence tag analysis

BMC genomics, 2005

Dinoflagellates are important marine primary producers and grazers and cause toxic "red tides". These taxa are characterized by many unique features such as immense genomes, the absence of nucleosomes, and photosynthetic organelles (plastids) that have been gained and lost multiple times. We generated EST sequences from non-normalized and normalized cDNA libraries from a culture of the toxic species Alexandrium tamarense to elucidate dinoflagellate evolution. Previous analyses of these data have clarified plastid origin and here we study the gene content, annotate the ESTs, and analyze the genes that are putatively involved in DNA packaging. Approximately 20% of the 6,723 unique (11,171 total 3'-reads) ESTs data could be annotated using Blast searches against GenBank. Several putative dinoflagellate-specific mRNAs were identified, including one novel plastid protein. Dinoflagellate genes, similar to other eukaryotes, have a high GC-content that is reflected in the amin...