Haomiao Cheng1,2,3, Zhanru Shao4,5, Chang Lu1,2,3, Delin Duan6,7,8. 1. Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, P. R. China. 2. Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China. 3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China. 4. Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, P. R. China. zrshao@qdio.ac.cn. 5. Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China. zrshao@qdio.ac.cn. 6. Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, P. R. China. dlduan@qdio.ac.cn. 7. Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, P. R. China. dlduan@qdio.ac.cn. 8. State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Seaweed Substances, Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group Co Ltd, Qingdao, 266400, P. R. China. dlduan@qdio.ac.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The nitrogen-containing polysaccharide chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth and is found in the cell walls of diatoms, where it serves as a scaffold for biosilica deposition. Diatom chitin is an important source of carbon and nitrogen in the marine environment, but surprisingly little is known about basic chitinase metabolism in diatoms. RESULTS: Here, we identify and fully characterize 24 chitinase genes from the model centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. We demonstrate that their expression is broadly upregulated under abiotic stresses, despite the fact that chitinase activity itself remains unchanged, and we discuss several explanations for this result. We also examine the potential transcriptional complexity of the intron-rich T. pseudonana chitinase genes and provide evidence for two separate tandem duplication events during their evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Given the many applications of chitin and chitin derivatives in suture production, wound healing, drug delivery, and other processes, new insight into diatom chitin metabolism has both theoretical and practical value.
BACKGROUND: The nitrogen-containing polysaccharide chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth and is found in the cell walls of diatoms, where it serves as a scaffold for biosilica deposition. Diatom chitin is an important source of carbon and nitrogen in the marine environment, but surprisingly little is known about basic chitinase metabolism in diatoms. RESULTS: Here, we identify and fully characterize 24 chitinase genes from the model centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. We demonstrate that their expression is broadly upregulated under abiotic stresses, despite the fact that chitinase activity itself remains unchanged, and we discuss several explanations for this result. We also examine the potential transcriptional complexity of the intron-rich T. pseudonanachitinase genes and provide evidence for two separate tandem duplication events during their evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Given the many applications of chitin and chitin derivatives in suture production, wound healing, drug delivery, and other processes, new insight into diatom chitin metabolism has both theoretical and practical value.
Authors: Patrick J Keeling; Fabien Burki; Heather M Wilcox; Bassem Allam; Eric E Allen; Linda A Amaral-Zettler; E Virginia Armbrust; John M Archibald; Arvind K Bharti; Callum J Bell; Bank Beszteri; Kay D Bidle; Connor T Cameron; Lisa Campbell; David A Caron; Rose Ann Cattolico; Jackie L Collier; Kathryn Coyne; Simon K Davy; Phillipe Deschamps; Sonya T Dyhrman; Bente Edvardsen; Ruth D Gates; Christopher J Gobler; Spencer J Greenwood; Stephanie M Guida; Jennifer L Jacobi; Kjetill S Jakobsen; Erick R James; Bethany Jenkins; Uwe John; Matthew D Johnson; Andrew R Juhl; Anja Kamp; Laura A Katz; Ronald Kiene; Alexander Kudryavtsev; Brian S Leander; Senjie Lin; Connie Lovejoy; Denis Lynn; Adrian Marchetti; George McManus; Aurora M Nedelcu; Susanne Menden-Deuer; Cristina Miceli; Thomas Mock; Marina Montresor; Mary Ann Moran; Shauna Murray; Govind Nadathur; Satoshi Nagai; Peter B Ngam; Brian Palenik; Jan Pawlowski; Giulio Petroni; Gwenael Piganeau; Matthew C Posewitz; Karin Rengefors; Giovanna Romano; Mary E Rumpho; Tatiana Rynearson; Kelly B Schilling; Declan C Schroeder; Alastair G B Simpson; Claudio H Slamovits; David R Smith; G Jason Smith; Sarah R Smith; Heidi M Sosik; Peter Stief; Edward Theriot; Scott N Twary; Pooja E Umale; Daniel Vaulot; Boris Wawrik; Glen L Wheeler; William H Wilson; Yan Xu; Adriana Zingone; Alexandra Z Worden Journal: PLoS Biol Date: 2014-06-24 Impact factor: 8.029
Authors: Sara El-Gebali; Jaina Mistry; Alex Bateman; Sean R Eddy; Aurélien Luciani; Simon C Potter; Matloob Qureshi; Lorna J Richardson; Gustavo A Salazar; Alfredo Smart; Erik L L Sonnhammer; Layla Hirsh; Lisanna Paladin; Damiano Piovesan; Silvio C E Tosatto; Robert D Finn Journal: Nucleic Acids Res Date: 2019-01-08 Impact factor: 16.971