The non-photosynthetic, pathogenic green alga Helicosporidium sp. has retained a modified, functional plastid genome

Aurelien Tartar; Drion G. Boucias

doi:10.1016/j.femsle.2004.02.006

The non-photosynthetic, pathogenic green alga Helicosporidium sp. has retained a modified, functional plastid genome

Aurelien Tartar
, Drion G. Boucias

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

A fragment of the Helicosporidium sp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) plastid genome has been sequenced. The genome architecture was compared to that of both a non-photosynthetic relative (Prototheca wickerhamii) and a photosynthetic relative (Chlorella vulgaris). Comparative genomic analysis indicated that Helicosporidium and Prototheca are closely related genera. The analyses also revealed that the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has been rearranged. In particular, two ribosomal protein-encoding genes (rpl19 and rps23) appeared to have been transposed, or lost from the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome. RT-PCR reactions demonstrated that the retained plastid genes were transcribed, suggesting that, despite rearrangement(s), the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has remained functional. The modified plastid genome architecture is a novel apomorphy that indicates that the Helicosporidia are highly derived green algae, more so than Prototheca spp. As such, they represent a promising model to study organellar genome reorganizations in parasitic protists.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	153-157
Number of pages	5
Journal	FEMS Microbiology Letters
Volume	233
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.femsle.2004.02.006
State	Published - Jan 1 2004

Funding

The authors thank Verena Blaeske and Michael Botts for technical assistance during Helicosporidium sp. in vitro cultures; the ICBR Sequencing Facility at the University of Florida; and Byron Adams, Jim Maruniak, Dave Clark and Bill Farmerie for critical comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. This work is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF, MCB-0131017). Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series No. R-09949.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	MCB-0131017

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Genetics
Molecular Biology
Microbiology

Keywords

Genome reduction
Green algae
Helicosporidium
Pathogen
Plastid genome

Disciplines

Biology

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10.1016/j.femsle.2004.02.006

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.femsle.2004.02.006

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title = "The non-photosynthetic, pathogenic green alga Helicosporidium sp. has retained a modified, functional plastid genome",

abstract = " A fragment of the Helicosporidium sp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) plastid genome has been sequenced. The genome architecture was compared to that of both a non-photosynthetic relative (Prototheca wickerhamii) and a photosynthetic relative (Chlorella vulgaris). Comparative genomic analysis indicated that Helicosporidium and Prototheca are closely related genera. The analyses also revealed that the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has been rearranged. In particular, two ribosomal protein-encoding genes (rpl19 and rps23) appeared to have been transposed, or lost from the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome. RT-PCR reactions demonstrated that the retained plastid genes were transcribed, suggesting that, despite rearrangement(s), the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has remained functional. The modified plastid genome architecture is a novel apomorphy that indicates that the Helicosporidia are highly derived green algae, more so than Prototheca spp. As such, they represent a promising model to study organellar genome reorganizations in parasitic protists.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.femsle.2004.02.006",

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AU - Boucias, Drion G.

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Y1 - 2004/1/1

N2 - A fragment of the Helicosporidium sp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) plastid genome has been sequenced. The genome architecture was compared to that of both a non-photosynthetic relative (Prototheca wickerhamii) and a photosynthetic relative (Chlorella vulgaris). Comparative genomic analysis indicated that Helicosporidium and Prototheca are closely related genera. The analyses also revealed that the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has been rearranged. In particular, two ribosomal protein-encoding genes (rpl19 and rps23) appeared to have been transposed, or lost from the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome. RT-PCR reactions demonstrated that the retained plastid genes were transcribed, suggesting that, despite rearrangement(s), the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has remained functional. The modified plastid genome architecture is a novel apomorphy that indicates that the Helicosporidia are highly derived green algae, more so than Prototheca spp. As such, they represent a promising model to study organellar genome reorganizations in parasitic protists.

AB - A fragment of the Helicosporidium sp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) plastid genome has been sequenced. The genome architecture was compared to that of both a non-photosynthetic relative (Prototheca wickerhamii) and a photosynthetic relative (Chlorella vulgaris). Comparative genomic analysis indicated that Helicosporidium and Prototheca are closely related genera. The analyses also revealed that the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has been rearranged. In particular, two ribosomal protein-encoding genes (rpl19 and rps23) appeared to have been transposed, or lost from the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome. RT-PCR reactions demonstrated that the retained plastid genes were transcribed, suggesting that, despite rearrangement(s), the Helicosporidium sp. plastid genome has remained functional. The modified plastid genome architecture is a novel apomorphy that indicates that the Helicosporidia are highly derived green algae, more so than Prototheca spp. As such, they represent a promising model to study organellar genome reorganizations in parasitic protists.

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KW - Helicosporidium

KW - Pathogen

KW - Plastid genome

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JO - FEMS Microbiology Letters

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The non-photosynthetic, pathogenic green alga Helicosporidium sp. has retained a modified, functional plastid genome

Abstract

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Keywords

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