Project description:The green algal Botryococcus braunii (Chlorophyte) is known for accumulating high levels of hydrocarbons that are a useful alternative to fossil fuels. B. braunii is categorized into three groups based on types of their accumulated hydrocarbons: alkadiene/triene in race A, botryococcenes in race B, and lycopadiene in race L. Transcriptomic studies in race A and race B have discovered tremendous information related to the genes encoding proteins involved in hydrocarbon biosynthesis. However, transcriptome of race L has not been reported. In this study, we report a transcriptome of race L B. braunii AC768 through the de novo assembly using Hiseq platform. Our analyses indicate that photosynthesis and protein biosynthesis are the most abundantly transcribed in actively growing race L B. braunii. We show that the transcriptome of race L shares similar amounts (~20%) of mutual best-hits with that of race A or race B. Sequence homologous analyses indicate that enzymes involved in squalene and phytoene biosynthesis are well separated into geranyl-diphosphate synthase, farnesyl-diphosphate synthase, geranylgeranyl-diphosphate synthase, phytoene synthase, and squalene synthase. Both B. braunii specific enzymes botryococcene synthase SSL3 and lycopaoctaene synthase LOS are found to form distinctive subgroups in the group of squalene synthase. One of the ESTs in AC768 transcriptome that falls into the subgroup with LOS and shares >88% identity with that of LOS. Together, our results show that SSL and LOS are unique to race B and race L B. braunii subspecies, respectively. We propose that phytoene synthase in race L shares higher homolog to squalene synthase than phytoene synthase in other algae.
Project description:Membrane fractions from Chara australis internodal cells were prepared by differential centrifugation. Chara cells were incubated in normal light/dark cycles or in the dark to obtain chaasome-enriched and depleted sample, respectively. Additionally, acidic and alkaline bands of individual Chara cells were separated for membrane preparations, too.
Project description:SVP is a key MADS-box transcription factor for Arabidopsis development since it acts both during vegetative and reproductive phases where it plays different roles probably by interacting with different partners to regulate specific sets of target genes. In fact, whereas SVP functions as a repressor of floral transition during the vegetative phase, it works as floral meristem gene during reproductive phase. We studied the behavior of SVP during two distinct developmental phases: the vegetative and reproductive phase. The aim of these studies is to identify subsets of genes that are directly bound by SVP by means of ChIP sequencing (Illumina Solexa Sequencing) approach during the two distinct phases of development.
Project description:SVP is a key MADS-box transcription factor for Arabidopsis development since it acts both during vegetative and reproductive phases where it plays different roles probably by interacting with different partners to regulate specific sets of target genes. In fact, whereas SVP functions as a repressor of floral transition during the vegetative phase, it works as floral meristem gene during reproductive phase. We studied the behavior of SVP during two distinct developmental phases: the vegetative and reproductive phase. The aim of these studies is to identify subsets of genes that are directly bound by SVP by means of ChIP sequencing (Illumina Solexa Sequencing) approach during the two distinct phases of development. Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings and inflorescences were selected at successive stages of early development for chromatin extraction and subsequent immunoprecipitation using GFP antibody. The identification of genome wide binding sites of SVP using the ChIP-SEQ approach were performed in the vegetative phase using pSVP::SVP-GFP svp-41 and wild-type seedlings grown for 2 weeks in Short Day (SD) conditions (8 h light/16 h dark); for the reproductive phase we used wild-type and pSVP::SVP-GFP svp-41 inflorescences grown for 2 weeks in SD conditions and then moved in (LD) conditions (16 h light/16 h dark). The inflorescences were collected at 2 weeks after bolting.
Project description:We performed Illumina sequencing of sRNA libraries prepared from juvenile and reproductive phase buds from the apple trees. A large number of sRNAs exemplified by 33 previously annotated miRNAs and 6 novel members displayed significant differential expression (DE) patterns in juvenile and reproductive stages. The study provides new insight into our understanding of fundamental mechanism of poorly studied phase transitions in apple and other woody plants and important resource for future in-depth research in the apple development.