Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Phytoplankton community composition and gene expression involved in carbon and nitrogen assimilation

ABSTRACT: A functional gene microarray was developed and used to investigate phytoplankton community composition and gene expression in the English Channel. Genes encoding the CO2 fixation enzyme RuBisCO (rbcL) and the nitrate assimilation enzyme nitrate reductase (NR) representing several major groups of phytoplankton were included as oligonucleotide probes on the 'phytoarray'. Five major groups of eukaryotic phytoplankton that possess the Type 1D rbcL gene were detected, both in terms of presence (DNA) and activity (rbcL gene expression). Changes in relative signal intensity among the Type 1D rbcL probes indicated a shift from diatom dominance in the spring bloom to dominance by haptophytes and flagellates later in the summer. Because of the limitations of a smaller database, NR probes detected fewer groups, but due to the greater diversity among known NR sequences, NR probes provided higher phylogenetic resolution than did rbcL probes, and identified two uncultivated diatom phylotypes as the most abundant (DNA) and active (NR gene expression) in field samples. Unidentified chlorophytes and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum were detected at both the DNA and cDNA (gene expression) levels. The reproducibility of the array was evaluated in several ways and future directions for further improvement of probe development and sensitivity are outlined. The phytoarray provides a relatively high resolution, high throughput approach to assessing phytoplankton community composition in marine environments. Keywords: seawater natural assemblages, functional gene expression Two functional genes, nitrate reductase and RuBisCO, 4 - 8 replicate features per array

ORGANISM(S): unidentified

SUBMITTER: B Ward

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-12742 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Beller, H. R., T. E. Letain, A. Chakicherla, S. R. Kane, T. C. Legler, and M. A. Coleman. 2006. Whole-genome transcriptional analysis of chemolithoautotrophic thiosulfate oxidation by Thiobacillus denitrificans under aerobic vs. denitrifying conditions. Journal of Bacteriology 188:7005-7015. Thiobacillus denitrificans is one of the few known obligate chemolithoautotrophic bacteria capable of energetically coupling thiosulfate oxidation to denitrification as well as aerobic respiration. As very little is known about the differential expression of genes associated with key chemolithoautotrophic functions (such as sulfur-compound oxidation and CO2 fixation) under aerobic versus denitrifying conditions, we conducted whole-genome, cDNA microarray studies to explore this topic systematically. The microarrays identified 277 genes (approximately ten percent of the genome) as differentially expressed using Robust Multi-array Average statistical analysis and a 2-fold cutoff. Genes upregulated (ca. 6- to 150-fold) under aerobic conditions included a cluster of genes associated with iron acquisition (e.g., siderophore-related genes), a cluster of cytochrome cbb3 oxidase genes, cbbL and cbbS (encoding the large and small subunits of form I ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, or RubisCO), and multiple molecular chaperone genes. Genes upregulated (ca. 4- to 95-fold) under denitrifying conditions included nar, nir, and nor genes (associated respectively with nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, and nitric oxide reductase, which catalyze successive steps of denitrification), cbbM (encoding form II RubisCO), and genes involved with sulfur-compound oxidation (including two physically separated but highly similar copies of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase and of dsrC, associated with dissimilatory sulfite reductase). Among genes associated with denitrification, relative expression levels (i.e., degree of upregulation with nitrate) tended to decrease in the order nar > nir > nor > nos. Reverse transcription, quantitative PCR analysis was used to validate these trends. Keywords: bacterial metabolism

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Phytoplankton community composition and gene expression involved in carbon and nitrogen assimilation

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