Dinoflagellate Full-Length cDNA Sequencing

康涅狄格大学在林森杰博士的指导下获得了一笔拨款，用于研究被称为甲藻的真核浮游植物的基因组。研究人员将从两种已知会产生导致鱼类死亡的毒素的甲藻中获得DNA序列，即细胞核基因的表达信息RNA序列。待测序的物种为微小角叉藻和角叉角藻。这些基因将被测序并按功能分类，以供进一步的遗传学研究。甲藻是一种微小的真核单细胞生物，在当前和未来与碳循环、沿海渔业生产和环境健康相关的潜在意义上，是海洋微生物中最突出的谱系。甲藻是导致鱼类死亡和贝类中毒的“赤潮”的源头。根据种类的不同，它们的毒素可导致麻痹性贝类中毒(PSP)、健忘性贝类中毒(ASP)、神经毒性贝类中毒(NSP)和腹泻性贝类中毒(DSP)，以及其他一些健康影响。在进化史上，甲藻基因组不仅经历了垂直进化，而且受到来自其质体、内共生体和其他生物体的猖獗的水平基因转移的影响。通过对表达的信息RNA序列进行大规模测序，这个团队将试图回答有关甲藻及其基因组结构的基本问题。例如，一个典型的甲藻基因组包含多少个基因？它是不是比其他真核生物更富含基因？多拷贝基因在甲藻基因组中占优势吗？这两个产生相似毒素的甲藻物种是否有共同的分子机制？哪些基因和途径负责毒素的产生？一名研究生和本科生将参与该项目，并接受基因组生物学方面的培训。将为水族馆建造一个关于赤潮及其基因组的展览，这将在现代基因组研究的背景下解释甲藻生物学。

A grant has been awarded the University of Connecticut under the direction of Dr. Senjie Lin to study the genome of the eukaryotic phytoplankton organisms known as dinoflagellates. The researchers will obtain sequences of cDNA, or expressed message RNA sequences for genes in the nucleus, from two species of dinoflagellates known to produce toxins that cause fish kills. The species to be sequenced are Karlodinium micrum and Amphidinium carterae. The genes will be sequenced and categorized by function for further genetic study. Dinoflagellates are microscopic eukaryotic unicellular organisms that are the most prominent lineage among marine microbes in terms of current and potential future significance associated with carbon cycling, coastal fisheries production, and environmental health. Dinoflagellates are the source of "red tides," that cause fish kills and shellfish poisoning. Depending on the species, their toxins can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), and some other health effects. In evolutionary history, dinoflagellate genomes not only have undergone vertical evolution but impacted by rampant horizontal gene transfer from their plastids, endosymbionts, and other organisms. Through large scale sequencing of expressed message RNA sequences this team will attempt to answer fundamental questions about dinoflagellates and their genomic structure. For example, how many genes does a typical dinoflagellate genome hold? Is it more gene-rich than other eukaryotes? Are multiple copy genes dominant in dinoflagellate genome? Is there a common molecular machinery shared by the two dinoflagellate species that produce similar toxins? What genes and pathways are responsible for toxin production? A graduate student and undergraduate student will work on the project and be trained in genomic biology. An exhibit on red tides and their genomes will be constructed for an aquarium, which will explain dinoflagellate biology in the context of modern genomic research.