Project description:In this study transcriptomic data of three life history stages of Orciraptor agilis was generated: 1) Gliding cells in absence of food ('gliding'), 2) Cells attached to the cell wall of its algal prey during perforation ('fattacking'), 3) Cells after acquisition of the algal plastid material ('digesting'). Furthermore, RNA-seq of the algal prey Mougeotia sp. was also performed. A de novo transcriptome assembly of the algal reads was performed in order to identify and substract algal reads of the Orciraptor samples by mapping the Orciraptor reads to the algal transcriptome. After this filtering step the remaining Orciraptor reads from all libraries were pooled for a de novo transcriptome assembly of Orciraptor agilis. This transcriptome was the basis for a comparative transcriptomic study in which transcript expression was compared between the three life history stages.
Project description:We set out to investigate the genetic adaptions of the known marine fungus Paradendryphiella salina CBS112865 to the degradation of brown macro-algae, expecting to find a repertoire of carbohydrate active enzymes highly specialized to the degradation of algal polysaccharides. We performed whole genome, transcriptome sequencing and shotgun proteomic analysis of the secretome of P. salina growing on three species of brown algae and under carbon starvation. The genome comparison to close terrestrial fungal relatives, revealed P. salina to have a similar, but reduced carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) profile, except for the presence of three putative alginate lyase 7 genes, most likely acquired via ancient horizontal gene transfer event from a marine bacterium and a polysaccharide lyase 8 gene with similarity to ascomycete chondroitin AC lyases. The proteomic analysis revealed both PL7 and PL8 enzymes to be highly abundant in the algal fermentations together with enzymes necessary for degradation of laminarin, cellulose, lipids and peptides. Our findings indicate that the base CAZyme repertoire of saprobic and plant pathogenic ascomycetes with the necessary addition of alginate lyases provide the fungi with the enzymatic capabilities to thrive on brown algae polysaccharides and even cope with the algal defense mechanisms.
Project description:Antibiotics are increasingly detected in aquatic environments, and their potential ecological risk is a concern. However, most antibiotic toxicity studies were performed with single exposure experiments. Here, we studied the effects and mechanisms of repeated clarithromycin (CLA) exposure on the algae Microcystis aeruginosa compared to the results of a single exposure. The 96-h effective concentration of CLA was 13.37 μg/L upon single exposure but was reduced to 6.90 μg/L upon repeated exposure. Single-exposure CLA inhibited algal photosynthesis by disrupting energy absorption, dissipation and trapping, reaction center activation, and electron transport, thereby inducing oxidative stress and ultrastructural damage. CLA also upregulated glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Stronger inhibition of algal growth was observed under repeated exposure via effects on photosynthetic pigments, biosynthesis of reaction center subunits, and electron transport, inducing more substantial oxidative damage. Furthermore, repeated exposure reduced carbohydrate utilization by blocking the pentose phosphate pathway, which changed the characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances and eventually impaired algal self-defense. Risk quotients calculated from repeated exposure were higher than 1, indicating significant ecological risks. This study elucidated the severe influence of repeated antibiotic exposure on algae, providing new insights into antibiotic risk assessment.
Project description:The pathosystem between the model brown alga Ectocarpus siliculsosus and the oomycete pathogen Eurychasma dicksonii was investigated with the aim to identify proteins involved in host repsonse. Comparative 2D electrophoresis was used to identify protein spots differentially expressed between uninfected control and infected algal tissue.