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An Integrated Analysis of Molecular Acclimation to High Light in the Marine Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

ABSTRACT: Photosynthetic diatoms are exposed to rapid and unpredictable changes in irradiance and spectral quality, and must be able to adapt their light harvesting systems to varying light conditions. Molecular mechanisms behind light acclimation in diatoms are largely unknown. We set out to investigate the mechanisms of high light acclimation in Phaeodactylum tricornutum using an integrated approach involving global transcriptional profiling, metabolite profiling and variable fluorescence technique. Algae cultures were acclimated to low light (LL), after which the cultures were transferred to high light (HL). Molecular, metabolic and physiological responses were studied at time points 0.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after transfer to HL conditions. The integrated results indicate that the acclimation mechanisms in diatoms can be divided into an initial response phase (0.5 h), an intermediate acclimation phase (3-12 h) and a late acclimation phase (12-48 h). The initial phase is recognized by strong and rapid regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in photosynthesis, pigment metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems. A significant increase in light protecting metabolites occur together with the induction of transcriptional processes involved in protection of cellular structures at this early phase. During the following phases, the metabolite profiling display a pronounced decrease in light harvesting pigments, whereas the variable fluorescence measurements show that the photosynthetic capacity increases strongly during the late acclimation phase. We show that P. tricornutum is capable of swift and efficient execution of photoprotective mechanisms, followed by changes in the composition of the photosynthetic machinery that enable the diatoms to utilize the excess energy available in HL. Central molecular players in light protection and acclimation to high irradiances have been identified.

ORGANISM(S): Phaeodactylum tricornutum

PROVIDER: GSE17237 | GEO | 2009/11/06

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA119115

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Photosynthetic diatoms are exposed to rapid and unpredictable changes in irradiance and spectral quality, and must be able to adapt their light harvesting systems to varying light conditions. Molecular mechanisms behind light acclimation in diatoms are largely unknown. We set out to investigate the mechanisms of high light acclimation in Phaeodactylum tricornutum using an integrated approach involving global transcriptional profiling, metabolite profiling and variable fluorescence technique. Algae cultures were acclimated to low light (LL), after which the cultures were transferred to high light (HL). Molecular, metabolic and physiological responses were studied at time points 0.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after transfer to HL conditions. The integrated results indicate that the acclimation mechanisms in diatoms can be divided into an initial response phase (0.5 h), an intermediate acclimation phase (3-12 h) and a late acclimation phase (12-48 h). The initial phase is recognized by strong and rapid regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in photosynthesis, pigment metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems. A significant increase in light protecting metabolites occur together with the induction of transcriptional processes involved in protection of cellular structures at this early phase. During the following phases, the metabolite profiling display a pronounced decrease in light harvesting pigments, whereas the variable fluorescence measurements show that the photosynthetic capacity increases strongly during the late acclimation phase. We show that P. tricornutum is capable of swift and efficient execution of photoprotective mechanisms, followed by changes in the composition of the photosynthetic machinery that enable the diatoms to utilize the excess energy available in HL. Central molecular players in light protection and acclimation to high irradiances have been identified. The experiment was designed as a time series, with diatom cultures were harvested at time points 0.5 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after transfer to high light conditions. The reference samples were kept at low light and harvested in parallel with the treated samples. Three biological replicates were harvested for all samples.

Project description:Diatoms, albeit being only distantly related with higher plants, harbour a plant-like cryptochrome (CryP) that was proposed to act as a photoreceptor required for the regulation of photosynthetic proteins. Importantly, plant cryptochromes are assumed to be involved in the regulation of developmental processes that are only needed in multicellular organisms; their role in the unicellular diatoms to date is mostly enigmatic. To elucidate the function of this plant-like cryptochrome in a unicellular species, we examined the role of CryP in the regulation of transcription in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum by comparative RNA-seq of wild type and CryP knock-down mutants, under prolonged darkness and one hour after onset of blue light. In total, mRNAs of 12,298 genes were identified and more than 70% of the genes could be sorted into functional bins. We here show that CryP influences gene expression in three different ways: some genes are regulated by CryP under blue light only, others independent of the light condition and surprisingly some are regulated by CryP only in darkness. Changes under blue light included only around 4% of total genes, and genes regulated in any condition were distributed over almost all functional categories. Expression of photosynthesis genes was lowered by CryP under BL, in contrast to the overall enhancement in wild-type cells under the same conditions. Interestingly, CryP also exerted an influence on two other photoreceptors: the genes for phytochrome (Pt-DPH) and CPF1, another cryptochrome of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, were down-regulated by CryP independent of the light condition. However, the regulatory effects of the different photoreceptors on transcriptional output were independent. The influence of CryP on the expression of other photoreceptors hints to the existence of a regulatory signalling network in diatoms that includes several cryptochromes and phytochrome, whereby CryP acts as a regulator of transcript abundance under light as well as in darkness.

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An Integrated Analysis of Molecular Acclimation to High Light in the Marine Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

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