Biology subjects

Not, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Not, F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Time calibrated morpho-molecular classification of Nassellaria (Radiolaria)

Nassellaria are marine radiolarian protists belonging to the Rhizaria lineage. Their skeleton, made of opaline silica, exhibit an excellent fossil record, extremely valuable in micro-paleontological studies for paleo-environmental reconstruction. Yet, to date very little is known about the extant diversity and ecology of Nassellaria in contemporary oceans, and most of it is inferred from their fossil record. Here we present an integrative classification of Nassellaria based on taxonomical marker genes (18S and 28S ribosomal DNA) and morphological characteristics obtained by optical and scanning electron microscopy imaging. Our phylogenetic analyses distinguished 11 main morpho-molecular clades relying essentially on the overall morphology of the skeleton and not on internal structures as previously considered. Using fossil calibrated molecular clock we estimated the origin of Nassellaria among radiolarians primitive forms in the Devonian (ca. 420 Ma), that gave rise to living nassellarian groups in the Triassic (ca. 250 Ma), during the biggest diversification event over their evolutionary history. This morpho-molecular framework provides both a new morphological classification easier to identify under light microscopy and the basis for future molecular ecology surveys. Altogether, it brings a new standpoint to improve our scarce understanding of the ecology and worldwide distribution of extant nassellarians.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Chloroplasts of symbiotic microalgae remain active during bleaching induced by thermal stress in Collodaria (Radiolaria)

Collodaria (Radiolaria) are important contributors to planktonic communities and biogeochemical processes (e.g. the biologic pump) in oligotrophic oceans. Similarly to corals, Collodaria live in symbiosis with dinoflagellate algae, a relationship that is thought to explain partly their ecological success. In the context of global change, the robustness of the symbiotic interaction and potential subsequent bleaching events are worth consideration. In the present study, we compared the ultrastructure morphology, symbiont density, photosynthetic capacities and respiration rates of colonial Collodaria exposed to a range of temperatures corresponding to natural conditions (21{degrees}C), moderate (25{degrees}C) and high (28{degrees}C) thermal stress. We showed that symbiont density immediately decreased when temperature rises to 25{degrees}C and the collodaria holobiont metabolic activity increased. When temperature reached 28{degrees}C, the collodarian host arrived at a tolerance threshold with a respiration nearly stopped and largely damaged morphological structures. Over the course of the experiment the photosynthetic capacities of remaining symbionts were stable, chloroplasts being the last degraded organelles from the microalgae. These results contribute to a better characterization and understanding of temperature-induced bleaching processes in planktonic photosymbiosis.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2017

A de novo approach to disentangle partner identity and function in holobiont systems

BackgroundStudy of meta-transcriptomic datasets involving non-model organisms represents bioinformatic challenges. The production of chimeric sequences and our inability to distinguish the taxonomic origins of the sequences produced are inherent and recurrent difficulties in de novo assembly analyses. The study of holobiont transcriptomes shares similarities with meta-transcriptomic, and hence, is also affected by challenges invoked above. Here we propose an innovative approach to tackle such difficulties which was applied to the study of marine holobiont models as a proof of concept.\n\nResultsWe considered three holobionts models, of which two transcriptomes were previously assembled and published, and a yet unpublished transcriptome, to analyze their raw reads and assign them to the host and/or to the symbiont(s) using Short Read Connector, a k-mer based similarity method. We were able to define four distinct categories of reads for each holobiont transcriptome: host reads, symbiont reads, shared reads and unassigned reads. The result of the independent assemblies for each category within a transcriptome led to a significant diminution of de novo assembled chimeras compared to classical assembly methods. Combining independent functional and taxonomic annotations of each partners transcriptome is particularly convenient to explore the functional diversity of an holobiont. Finally, our strategy allowed to propose new functional annotations for two well-studied holobionts and a first transcriptome from a planktonic Radiolaria-Dinophyta system forming widespread symbiotic association for which our knowledge is limited. Conclusions\n\nIn contrast to classical assembly approaches, our bioinformatic strategy not only allows biologists to studying separately host and symbiont data from a holobiont mixture, but also generates improved transcriptome assemblies. The use of Short Read Connector has proven to be an effective way to tackle meta-transcriptomic challenges to study holobiont systems composed of either well-studied or poorly characterized symbiotic lineages such as the newly sequenced marine plankton Radiolaria-Dinophyta symbiosis and ultimately expand our knowledge about these marine symbiotic associations.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2017

Analysis Of The Genomic Basis Of Functional Diversity In Dinoflagellates Using A Transcriptome-Based Sequence Similarity Network

Dinoflagellates are one of the most abundant and functionally diverse groups of eukaryotes. Despite an overall scarcity of genomic information for dinoflagellates, constantly emerging high-throughput sequencing resources can be used to characterize and compare these organisms. We assembled de novo and processed 46 dinoflagellate transcriptomes and used a sequence similarity network (SSN) to compare the underlying genomic basis of functional features within the group. This approach constitutes the most comprehensive picture to date of the genomic potential of dinoflagellates. A core proteome composed of 252 connected components (CCs) of putative conserved protein domains (pCDs) was identified. Of these, 206 were novel and 16 lacked any functional annotation in public databases. Integration of functional information in our network analyses allowed investigation of pCDs specifically associated to functional traits. With respect to toxicity, sequences homologous to those of proteins involved in toxin biosynthesis pathways (e.g. sxtA1-4 and sxtG) were not specific to known toxin-producing species. Although not fully specific to symbiosis, the most represented functions associated with proteins involved in the symbiotic trait were related to membrane processes and ion transport. Overall, our SSN approach led to identification of 45,207 and 90,794 specific and constitutive pCDs of respectively the toxic and symbiotic species represented in our analyses. Of these, 56% and 57% respectively (i.e. 25,393 and 52,193 pCDs) completely lacked annotation in public databases. This stresses the extent of our lack of knowledge, while emphasizing the potential of SSNs to identify candidate pCDs for further functional genomic characterization.

genomics↗