Chloroplast Signal Transduction in Marine Chromophytes

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MCB9728262 Cattolico, Rose Ann Chloroplast Signal Transduction in Marine Chromophytes Lay Summary Management of coastal ecosystems has recently become a major topic for the national news media. There is a new awareness of the contribution by phytoplankton to a balanced marine ecology. Part of this awareness has been gained from observing the devastating effects of algal blooms off the coast of the United States. Phytoplankton, however, also serve as the keystone of aquatic food webs and produce fascinating compounds of biomedical importance which can be "mined" from the sea. Algae live in a precarious environment and must respond rapidly to changing environmental cues (e.g., light, temperature, and nutrients) to ensure survival. Our study analyzes a mechanism by which a potentially toxic photosynthetic alga perceives these cues and transduces those signals into metabolic commands. Specifically, we will study the effector component of a prokaryotic-like signal transduction system that is localized in the chloroplast. This component modulates gene expression by affecting transcription. We have sequenced the gene that produces the effector protein. Next we will overproduce this protein in a bacterial expression system and then analyze the genes that are targeted by the protein. Finally, we hope to identify the receptor of this signal transduction cascade. This research when completed will provide reference information for a taxon (Chromophyta) that is ecologically important yet has received only marginal scientific attention.