Dataset Information

The genome and phenome of the green alga Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 reveal adaptive traits for desert acclimatization.

ABSTRACT: To investigate the phenomic and genomic traits that allow green algae to survive in deserts, we characterized a ubiquitous species, Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007, which we isolated from multiple locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Metabolomic analyses of Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 indicated that the alga accumulates a broad range of carbon sources, including several desiccation tolerance-promoting sugars and unusually large stores of palmitate. Growth assays revealed capacities to grow in salinities from zero to 60 g/L and to grow heterotrophically on >40 distinct carbon sources. Assembly and annotation of genomic reads yielded a 52.5 Mbp genome with 8153 functionally annotated genes. Comparison with other sequenced green algae revealed unique protein families involved in osmotic stress tolerance and saccharide metabolism that support phenomic studies. Our results reveal the robust and flexible biology utilized by a green alga to successfully inhabit a desert coastline.

SUBMITTER: Nelson DR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5509433 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The genome and phenome of the green alga Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 reveal adaptive traits for desert acclimatization.

Nelson David R DR Khraiwesh Basel B Fu Weiqi W Alseekh Saleh S Jaiswal Ashish A Chaiboonchoe Amphun A Hazzouri Khaled M KM O'Connor Matthew J MJ Butterfoss Glenn L GL Drou Nizar N Rowe Jillian D JD Harb Jamil J Fernie Alisdair R AR Gunsalus Kristin C KC Salehi-Ashtiani Kourosh K

eLife 20170617

To investigate the phenomic and genomic traits that allow green algae to survive in deserts, we characterized a ubiquitous species, Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007, which we isolated from multiple locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Metabolomic analyses of Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 indicated that the alga accumulates a broad range of carbon sources, including several desiccation tolerance-promoting sugars and unusually large stores of palmitate. Growth assays revealed capacities ...[more]

PMID: 28623667

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Project description:Ocean acidification (OA) has important implications for the persistence of coral reef ecosystems, due to potentially negative effects on biomineralization. Many coral reefs are dynamic with respect to carbonate chemistry, and experience fluctuations in pCO₂ that exceed OA projections for the near future. To understand the influence of dynamic pCO₂ on an important reef calcifier, we tested the response of the crustose coralline alga Porolithon onkodes to oscillating pCO₂. Individuals were exposed to ambient (400 µatm), high (660 µatm), or variable pCO₂ (oscillating between 400/660 µatm) treatments for 14 days. To explore the potential for coralline acclimatization, we collected individuals from low and high pCO₂ variability sites (upstream and downstream respectively) on a back reef characterized by unidirectional water flow in Moorea, French Polynesia. We quantified the effects of treatment on algal calcification by measuring the change in buoyant weight, and on algal metabolism by conducting sealed incubations to measure rates of photosynthesis and respiration. Net photosynthesis was higher in the ambient treatment than the variable treatment, regardless of habitat origin, and there was no effect on respiration or gross photosynthesis. Exposure to high pCO₂ decreased P. onkodes calcification by >70%, regardless of the original habitat. In the variable treatment, corallines from the high variability habitat calcified 42% more than corallines from the low variability habitat. The significance of the original habitat for the coralline calcification response to variable, high pCO₂ indicates that individuals existing in dynamic pCO₂ habitats may be acclimatized to OA within the scope of in situ variability. These results highlight the importance of accounting for natural pCO₂ variability in OA manipulations, and provide insight into the potential for plasticity in habitat and species-specific responses to changing ocean chemistry.

Dataset Information

The genome and phenome of the green alga Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 reveal adaptive traits for desert acclimatization.

Publications

The genome and phenome of the green alga <i>Chloroidium sp.</i> UTEX 3007 reveal adaptive traits for desert acclimatization.

Similar Datasets

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