Insights into the Evolution of Multicellularity from the Sea Lettuce Genome

De Clerck, Olivier; Kao, Shu-Min; Bogaert, Kenny A.; Blomme, Jonas; Foflonker, Fatima; Kwantes, Michiel; Vancaester, Emmelien; Vanderstraeten, Lisa; Aydogdu, Eylem; Boesger, Jens; Califano, Gianmaria; Charrier, Benedicte; Clewes, Rachel; Del Cortona, Andrea; D’Hondt, Sofie; Fernandez-Pozo, Noe; Gachon, Claire M.; Hanikenne, Marc; Lattermann, Linda; Leliaert, Frederik; Liu, Xiaojie; Maggs, Christine A.; Popper, Zoë A.; Raven, John A.; Van Bel, Michiel; Wilhelmsson, Per K.I.; Bhattacharya, Debashish; Coates, Juliet C.; Rensing, Stefan A.; Van Der Straeten, Dominique; Vardi, Assaf; Sterck, Lieven; Vandepoele, Klaas; Van de Peer, Yves; Wichard, Thomas; Bothwell, John H.

Abstract

We report here the 98.5 Mbp haploid genome (12,924 protein coding genes) of Ulva mutabilis, a ubiquitous and iconic representative of the Ulvophyceae or green seaweeds. Ulva’s rapid and abundant growth makes it a key contributor to coastal biogeochemical cycles; its role in marine sulfur cycles is particularly important because it produces high levels of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), the main precursor of volatile dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Rapid growth makes Ulva attractive biomass feedstock but also increasingly a driver of nuisance “green tides.” Ulvophytes are key to understanding the evolution of multicellularity in the green lineage, and Ulva morphogenesis is dependent on bacterial signals, making it an important species with which to study cross-kingdom communication. Our sequenced genome informs these aspects of ulvophyte cell biology, physiology, and ecology. Gene family expansions associated with multicellularity are distinct from those of freshwater algae. Candidate genes, including some that arose following horizontal gene transfer from chromalveolates, are present for the transport and metabolism of DMSP. The Ulva genome offers, therefore, new opportunities to understand coastal and marine ecosystems and the fundamental evolution of the green lineage.

Citation

De Clerck, O., Kao, S.-M., Bogaert, K. A., Blomme, J., Foflonker, F., Kwantes, M., Vancaester, E., Vanderstraeten, L., Aydogdu, E., Boesger, J., Califano, G., Charrier, B., Clewes, R., Del Cortona, A., D’Hondt, S., Fernandez-Pozo, N., Gachon, C. M., Hanikenne, M., Lattermann, L., Leliaert, F., …Bothwell, J. H. (2018). Insights into the Evolution of Multicellularity from the Sea Lettuce Genome. Current Biology, 28(18), 2921-2933.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.015

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 3, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Sep 13, 2018
• Publication Date: Sep 24, 2018
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 13, 2019
• Journal: Current Biology
• Print ISSN: 0960-9822
• Publisher: Cell Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 18
• Pages: 2921-2933.e5
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.015
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1318636