RNA-protein dynamics of high CO2-adapted, iron-phosphorus co-limited Trichodesmium reveals nutrient-limited molecular architecture of a globally significant marine nitrogen fixer in a future ocean
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ABSTRACT: Our paper presents the results of a study in which we used Illumina RNA-Seq (i.e. transcriptomics) and high-CO2 nutrient limitation experiments to examine transcriptional variation of iron-limited, phosphorus-limited, and iron-phosphorus co-limited cultures following long-term (~7 years) low- (380 µatm CO2) and high-CO2 (750 µatm CO2) selection. Hence, we describe the molecular physiology of the globally-significant, biogeochemically-critical marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium.
Project description:Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria supplies critical bioavailable nitrogen to marine ecosystems worldwide; however, field and lab data have demonstrated it to be limited by iron, phosphorus and/or CO2. To address unknown future interactions among these factors, we grew the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium for 1 year under Fe/P co-limitation following 7 years of both low and high CO2 selection. Fe/P co-limited cell lines demonstrated a complex cellular response including increased growth rates, broad proteome restructuring and cell size reductions relative to steady-state growth limited by either Fe or P alone. Fe/P co-limitation increased abundance of a protein containing a conserved domain previously implicated in cell size regulation, suggesting a similar role in Trichodesmium. Increased CO2 further induced nutrient-limited proteome shifts in widespread core metabolisms. Our results thus suggest that N2-fixing microbes may be significantly impacted by interactions between elevated CO2 and nutrient limitation, with broad implications for global biogeochemical cycles in the future ocean. Sample number sample description 1 380-1 2 380-2 3 380-3 4 750-1 5 750-2 6 750-3 7 380-1P 8 380-2P 9 380-3P 10 800-1P 11 800-2P 12 800-3P 13 380-1Fe 14 380-2Fe 15 380-3Fe 16 750-1Fe 17 750-2Fe 18 750-3Fe 19 380-1FeP 20 380-2FeP 21 380-3FeP 22 750-1FeP 23 750-2FeP 24 750-3FeP
Project description:The filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria Trichodesmium spp. supply fixed nitrogen (N) to the N-depleted oligotrophic oceans where their growth is often limited by the low availability of phosphorus(P) and/or iron. Previous studies have mostly been focused on the effects of ocean acidification on Trichodesmium under nutrient sufficient or iron-limited conditions. Only a few studies have examined the impacts of ocean acidification on Trichodesmium grown at low P concentrations using non-steady-state batch cultures. Here we cultured Trichodesmium using P-limited continuous cultures (chemostat) to mimic steady-state oceanic low P condition, and used comparative NGS-derived Trichodesmium transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) analysis to find differentially expressed genes and cellular pathways in response to acidification.
Project description:RNA-protein dynamics of high CO2-adapted, iron-phosphorus co-limited Trichodesmium reveals nutrient-limited molecular architecture of a globally significant marine nitrogen fixer in a future ocean
Project description:Our paper presents the results of a study in which we used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-Seq (i.e. transcriptomics) to examine the long-term epigenomic dynamics of an experimenta evolution study under high CO2 in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. We identify m5C methylated sites that rapidly change in response to short-term high CO2 exposure, which are then maintained for 4.5 years even after adaptation (i.e. trait canalization). After 7 years of CO2 selection, high-CO2 triggered methylation levels return to ancestral, low-CO2 levels, consistent with genetic assimilation theory and observations in eukaryotic model systems. These data suggest a potential role for m5C methylation in prokaryotic trait canalization and identify genetic assimilation as an evolutionary mechanism of potential biogeochemical importance under global change factors.
Project description:This project presents field metaproteomics data from Trichodesmium colonies collected from the surface ocean. Most were collected from the tropical and subtropical Atlantic ocean, but there is also data from the long term Bermuda Atlantic Time Series and Hawaii Ocean Time Series. Trichodesmium is a globally important marine microbe and its growth and nitrogen fixation activity is limited by nutrient availability in the surface ocean. This dataset was generated to answer questions about limitations on Trichodesmium's growth and activity in the nature.
Project description:Our paper presents the results of a study in which we used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-Seq (i.e. transcriptomics) to examine the long-term epigenomic dynamics of an experimenta evolution study under high CO2 in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. We identify m5C methylated sites that rapidly change in response to short-term high CO2 exposure, which are then maintained for 4.5 years even after adaptation (i.e. trait canalization). After 7 years of CO2 selection, high-CO2 triggered methylation levels return to ancestral, low-CO2 levels, consistent with genetic assimilation theory and observations in eukaryotic model systems. These data suggest a potential role for m5C methylation in prokaryotic trait canalization and identify genetic assimilation as an evolutionary mechanism of potential biogeochemical importance under global change factors.
Project description:Our paper presents the results of a study in which we used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), RNA-Seq (i.e. transcriptomics), high-CO2 physiology experiments, and spatiotemporally separated samples isolated in situ (i.e. directly from the ocean) to examine the metabolic potential of genome-wide cytosine (5mC) methylation (i.e. epigenomics), its potential impacts to transcriptional dynamics under both present-day and future ocean acidification conditions, and its biogeographic conservation in the globally-significant, biogeochemically-critical marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium.
Project description:Our paper presents the results of a study in which we used whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), RNA-Seq (i.e. transcriptomics), high-CO2 physiology experiments, and spatiotemporally separated samples isolated in situ (i.e. directly from the ocean) to examine the metabolic potential of genome-wide cytosine (5mC) methylation (i.e. epigenomics), its potential impacts to transcriptional dynamics under both present-day and future ocean acidification conditions, and its biogeographic conservation in the globally-significant, biogeochemically-critical marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium.