Project description:Reef-building corals live in a mutualistic relationship with photosynthetic algae (family Symbiodiniaceae) that usually provide the bulk of the energy required by the coral host. This relationship is very sensitive to temperature stress, with as little as 1°C increase above mean in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) often leading to the collapse of the association. The meta-stability of these associations has led to interest in the potential of more stress tolerant algae to supplement or substitute for the normal Symbiodiniaceae mutualists. In this respect, the apicomplexan-like microalga Chromera is of particular interest as it is considerably more temperature tolerant than are most members of the Symbiodiniaceae. Here we generated a de novo transcriptome for a Chromera strain isolated from a GBR coral (“GBR Chromera”) and compared to those of the reference strain of Chromera (“Sydney Chromera”), and to those of Symbiodiniaceae algae (Fugacium, Cladocopium and Breviolum), as well as the apicomplexan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. By contrast with the Symbiodiniaceae, the two Chromera strains had a high level of sequence similarity evident by very low levels of divergence in orthologous genes. Although surveys of specific KEGG categories provided few general criteria by which true coral mutualists might be identified, they provide a molecular rationalization for the near ubiquitous association of Cladocopium strains with Indo-Pacific reef corals in general and with Acropora spp. in particular. In addition, HSP20 genes may underlie the higher thermal tolerance shown by Chromera compared to Symbiodiniaceae
2019-11-02 | GSE139820 | GEO
Project description:Molecular and mineral responses of the scleractinian Montipora digitata grown in artificial Cretaceous seawater
Project description:The Periconia genus belongs to the phylum Ascomycota, order Pleosporales, family Periconiaceae. Periconia is widespread in many habitats but little is known about its ecology. Several species produce bioactive molecules, among them, Periconia digitata extracts were shown to be deadly active against the pine wilt nematode. The strain CNCM I-4278, here identified as P. digitata was able to inhibit the plant pathogen Phytophthora parasitica. Since P. digitata has great potential as biocontrol agent and the only other genome available in the Periconiaceae family is that of Periconia macrospinosa, which is quite fragmentary, we generated long-read genomic data for P. digitata. Thanks to the PacBio Hifi sequencing technology, we obtained a high-quality genome with a total length of 38,967,494 bp, represented by 13 haploid chromosomes. The transcriptomic and proteomic data strengthen and support the genome annotation. Besides representing a new reference genome within the Periconiaceae, this work will also contribute in our understanding of the Eukaryotic tree of life. Not least, opens new possibilities to the biotechnological use of the species.
Project description:The Periconia genus belongs to the phylum Ascomycota, order Pleosporales, family Periconiaceae. Periconia is widespread in many habitats but little is known about its ecology. Several species produce bioactive molecules, among them, Periconia digitata extracts were shown to be deadly active against the pine wilt nematode. The strain CNCM I-4278, here identified as P. digitata was able to inhibit the plant pathogen Phytophthora parasitica. Since P. digitata has great potential as biocontrol agent and the only other genome available in the Periconiaceae family is that of Periconia macrospinosa, which is quite fragmentary, we generated long-read genomic data for P. digitata. Thanks to the PacBio Hifi sequencing technology, we obtained a high-quality genome with a total length of 38,967,494 bp, represented by 13 haploid chromosomes. The transcriptomic and proteomic data strengthen and support the genome annotation. Besides representing a new reference genome within the Periconiaceae, this work will also contribute in our understanding of the Eukaryotic tree of life. Not least, opens new possibilities to the biotechnological use of the species.