Marine algae are central to global carbon fixation, and their productivity is dictated largely by resource availability. Reduced nutrient availability is predicted for vast oceanic regions as an outcome of climate change; however, there is much to learn regarding response mechanisms of the tiny picoplankton that thrive in these environments, especially eukaryotic phytoplankton. Here, we investigate responses of the picoeukaryote Micromonas commoda, a green alga found throughout subtropical and tropical oceans. Under shifting phosphate availability scenarios, transcriptomic analyses revealed altered expression of transfer RNA modification enzymes and biased codon usage of transcripts more abundant during phosphate-limiting versus phosphate-replete conditions, consistent with the role of transfer RNA modifications in regulating codon recognition. To associate the observed shift in the expression of the transfer RNA modification enzyme complement with the transfer RNAs encoded by M. commoda, we also determined the transfer RNA repertoire of this alga revealing potential targets of the modification enzymes. Codon usage bias was particularly pronounced in transcripts encoding proteins with direct roles in managing phosphate limitation and photosystem-associated proteins that have ill-characterized putative functions in "light stress." The observed codon usage bias corresponds to a proposed stress response mechanism in which the interplay between stress-induced changes in transfer RNA modifications and skewed codon usage in certain essential response genes drives preferential translation of the encoded proteins. Collectively, we expose a potential underlying mechanism for achieving growth under enhanced nutrient limitation that extends beyond the catalog of up- or downregulated protein-encoding genes to the cell biological controls that underpin acclimation to changing environmental conditions.

• Klíčová slova
• codon usage, green algae, marine primary production, nutrient limitation, tRNA modification,
• MeSH
• Chlorophyta * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• fosfáty metabolismus   MeSH
• kodon genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteosyntéza MeSH
• RNA transferová genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• využití kodonu * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• fosfáty MeSH
• kodon MeSH
• RNA transferová MeSH

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• tisková chyba MeSH

Diverse microbial ecosystems underpin life in the sea. Among these microbes are many unicellular eukaryotes that span the diversity of the eukaryotic tree of life. However, genetic tractability has been limited to a few species, which do not represent eukaryotic diversity or environmentally relevant taxa. Here, we report on the development of genetic tools in a range of protists primarily from marine environments. We present evidence for foreign DNA delivery and expression in 13 species never before transformed and for advancement of tools for eight other species, as well as potential reasons for why transformation of yet another 17 species tested was not achieved. Our resource in genetic manipulation will provide insights into the ancestral eukaryotic lifeforms, general eukaryote cell biology, protein diversification and the evolution of cellular pathways.

• MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• biologické modely * MeSH
• DNA aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• Eukaryota klasifikace   fyziologie   MeSH
• mořská biologie * MeSH
• transformace genetická * MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• životní prostředí MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny MeSH