Open AccessGenome and Transcriptome Sequencing of the Astaxanthin-Producing Green Microalga,Haematococcus pluvialis
Author(s) -
Qiulan Luo,
Chao Bian,
Ming Tao,
Yu Huang,
Ye Zheng,
Yunyun Lv,
Jia Li,
Chaogang Wang,
Xinxin You,
Bin Jia,
Junmin Xu,
Jiancheng Li,
Ze Li,
Qiong Shi,
Zhangli Hu
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
genome biology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.702
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 1759-6653
DOI - 10.1093/gbe/evy263
Subject(s) - haematococcus pluvialis , biology , astaxanthin , de novo transcriptome assembly , genome , transcriptome , pluvialis , gene , sequence assembly , chlorophyta , computational biology , genetics , algae , botany , carotenoid , gene expression
Haematococcus pluvialis is a freshwater species of Chlorophyta, family Haematococcaceae. It is well known for its capacity to synthesize high amounts of astaxanthin, which is a strong antioxidant that has been utilized in aquaculture and cosmetics. To improve astaxanthin yield and to establish genetic resources for H. pluvialis, we performed whole-genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation of this green microalga. A total of 83.1 Gb of raw reads were sequenced. After filtering the raw reads, we subsequently generated a draft assembly with a genome size of 669.0 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 288.6 kb, and predicted 18,545 genes. We also established a robust phylogenetic tree from 14 representative algae species. With additional transcriptome data, we revealed some novel potential genes that are involved in the synthesis, accumulation, and regulation of astaxanthin production. In addition, we generated an isoform-level reference transcriptome set of 18,483 transcripts with high confidence. Alternative splicing analysis demonstrated that intron retention is the most frequent mode. In summary, we report the first draft genome of H. pluvialis. These genomic resources along with transcriptomic data provide a solid foundation for the discovery of the genetic basis for theoretical and commercial astaxanthin enrichment.