TY - JOUR

T1 - Isoprenoid biosynthesis in the diatom Haslea ostrearia

AU - Athanasakoglou, Anastasia

AU - Grypioti, Emilia

AU - Michailidou, Sofia

AU - Ignea, Codruta

AU - Makris, Antonios M

AU - Kalantidis, Kriton

AU - Massé, Guillaume

AU - Argiriou, Anagnostis

AU - Verret, Frederic

AU - Kampranis, Sotirios C.

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - Diatoms are eukaryotic, unicellular algae that are responsible for c. 20% of the Earth's primary production. Their dominance and success in contemporary oceans have prompted investigations on their distinctive metabolism and physiology. One metabolic pathway that remains largely unexplored in diatoms is isoprenoid biosynthesis, which is responsible for the production of numerous molecules with unique features. We selected the diatom species Haslea ostrearia because of its characteristic isoprenoid content and carried out a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis and functional characterization of the genes identified. We functionally characterized one farnesyl diphosphate synthase, two geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, one short-chain polyprenyl synthase, one bifunctional isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase - squalene synthase - and one phytoene synthase. We inferred the phylogenetic origin of these genes and used a combination of functional analysis and subcellular localization predictions to propose their physiological roles. Our results provide insight into isoprenoid biosynthesis in H. ostrearia and propose a model of the central steps of the pathway. This model will facilitate the study of metabolic pathways of important isoprenoids in diatoms, including carotenoids, sterols and highly branched isoprenoids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AB - Diatoms are eukaryotic, unicellular algae that are responsible for c. 20% of the Earth's primary production. Their dominance and success in contemporary oceans have prompted investigations on their distinctive metabolism and physiology. One metabolic pathway that remains largely unexplored in diatoms is isoprenoid biosynthesis, which is responsible for the production of numerous molecules with unique features. We selected the diatom species Haslea ostrearia because of its characteristic isoprenoid content and carried out a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis and functional characterization of the genes identified. We functionally characterized one farnesyl diphosphate synthase, two geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, one short-chain polyprenyl synthase, one bifunctional isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase - squalene synthase - and one phytoene synthase. We inferred the phylogenetic origin of these genes and used a combination of functional analysis and subcellular localization predictions to propose their physiological roles. Our results provide insight into isoprenoid biosynthesis in H. ostrearia and propose a model of the central steps of the pathway. This model will facilitate the study of metabolic pathways of important isoprenoids in diatoms, including carotenoids, sterols and highly branched isoprenoids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

KW - diatoms

KW - Haslea ostrearia

KW - heterokonts

KW - isoprenoids

KW - phytoene synthase

KW - prenyltransferase

KW - squalene synthase

U2 - 10.1111/nph.15586

DO - 10.1111/nph.15586

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30394540

VL - 222

SP - 230

EP - 243

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

SN - 0028-646X

IS - 1

ER -