Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of the Phototrophic Dinoflagellate Biecheleriopsis adriatica Grown Under Optimal Temperature and Cold and Heat Stress

Hee Chang Kang,Se Hee Eom,Sang Ah Park,Ji Hyun You,Jin Hee Ok,Sung Yeon Lee,Eun Chong Park,Hae Jin Jeong,Se Hyeon Jang

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.761095

Hee Chang Kang, Se Hee Eom + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.761095

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Abstract

Dinoflagellates are a major component of marine ecosystems, and very cold and hot water may affect their survival. Global warming has amplified the magnitude of water temperature fluctuations. To investigate the molecular responses of dinoflagellates to very cold and hot water, we compared the differentially expressed genes of the phototrophic dinoflagellate Biecheleriopsis adriatica grown under optimal temperature and cold and heat stress. The number of genes upregulated or downregulated between optimal temperature and cold stress was twice than that between optimal temperature and heat stress. Moreover, the number of upregulated genes was greater than that of the downregulated genes under cold stress, whereas the number of upregulated genes was less than that of the downregulated genes under heat stress. Furthermore, among the differentially expressed genes, the number of genes upregulated under cold stress and with unchanged expression under heat stress was the highest, while the number of the genes downregulated under cold stress, but not under heat stress, was the second-highest. Facilitated trehalose transporter Tret1 and DnaJ-like subfamily B member 6-A were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, under cold stress; however, their expression remained unchanged under heat stress. In contrast, Apolipoprotein d lipocalin and Troponin C in skeletal muscle were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, under both cold and heat stress. This study provides insight into the genetic responses of dinoflagellates to climate change-driven large water temperature fluctuations.

Highlights

Dinoflagellates are ubiquitous and major components of marine ecosystems (Sherr and Sherr, 2007; Taylor et al, 2008; Kang et al, 2020b; Jeong et al, 2021a)
There have been several studies on comparative transcriptome analysis of dinoflagellates grown under optimal temperature and heat stress (Barshis et al, 2014; Fridey, 2015; Levin et al, 2016; Gierz et al, 2017; Davies et al, 2018; Bellantuono et al, 2019; Lin et al, 2019)
The results of these studies provide a basis for better understanding of the responses of dinoflagellates to changes in environmental factors with regard to ecology and molecular biology. Dinoflagellates experience both cold winter and hot summer in temperate regions (Selina et al, 2014; Kang et al, 2019b; Jang and Jeong, 2020). In temperate regions such as Korea, Japan, and China, sea waters become cold due to cold waves caused by the weakness of the stratospheric polar vortex by Arctic seaice loss or hot due to heat waves caused by the heat domes due to strengthening of the power of the North Pacific and Tibetan high pressures (Kim et al, 2014; Han and Lee, 2020; Lee et al, 2020; Inoue et al, 2021)

Summary

Introduction

Dinoflagellates are ubiquitous and major components of marine ecosystems (Sherr and Sherr, 2007; Taylor et al, 2008; Kang et al, 2020b; Jeong et al, 2021a). They have all three trophic modes (i.e., autotrophy, mixotrophy, and heterotrophy) and play diverse roles as primary producers, prey, predators, symbionts, and parasites, which contribute to active biological interactions and material cycling in the ocean Diverse environmental changes, such as heat waves, cold waves, acidification, and eutrophication, affect the survival and abundance of phototrophic dinoflagellates (Gómez and Souissi, 2008; Heisler et al, 2008; Taucher et al, 2018)

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