Premium
Diurnal transcript profiling of the diatom Seminavis robusta reveals adaptations to a benthic lifestyle
Author(s) -
Bilcke Gust,
OsunaCruz Cristina Maria,
Santana Silva Marta,
Poulsen Nicole,
D’hondt Sofie,
Bulankova Petra,
Vyverman Wim,
De Veylder Lieven,
Vandepoele Klaas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1111/tpj.15291
Subject(s) - biology , benthic zone , diatom , gene , circadian rhythm , nocturnal , ecology , evolutionary biology , genetics , neuroscience
SUMMARY Coastal regions contribute an estimated 20% of annual gross primary production in the oceans, despite occupying only 0.03% of their surface area. Diatoms frequently dominate coastal sediments, where they experience large variations in light regime resulting from the interplay of diurnal and tidal cycles. Here, we report on an extensive diurnal transcript profiling experiment of the motile benthic diatom Seminavis robusta . Nearly 90% (23 328) of expressed protein‐coding genes and 66.9% (1124) of expressed long intergenic non‐coding RNAs showed significant expression oscillations and are predominantly phasing at night with a periodicity of 24 h. Phylostratigraphic analysis found that rhythmic genes are enriched in highly conserved genes, while diatom‐specific genes are predominantly associated with midnight expression. Integration of genetic and physiological cell cycle markers with silica depletion data revealed potential new silica cell wall‐associated gene families specific to diatoms. Additionally, we observed 1752 genes with a remarkable semidiurnal (12‐h) periodicity, while the expansion of putative circadian transcription factors may reflect adaptations to cope with highly unpredictable external conditions. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the adaptations of diatoms to the benthic environment and serve as a valuable resource for the study of diurnal regulation in photosynthetic eukaryotes.