Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), activated as a response to unfavorable conditions, have been proposed to contribute to the generation of genetic and phenotypic diversity in diatoms. Here we explore the transcriptome of three warm water strains of the diatom Leptocylindrus aporus, and the possible involvement of TEs in their response to changing temperature conditions. At low temperature (13 °C) several stress response proteins were overexpressed, confirming low temperature to be unfavorable for L. aporus, while TE-related transcripts of the LTR retrotransposon superfamily were the most enriched transcripts. Their expression levels, as well as most of the stress-related proteins, were found to vary significantly among strains, and even within the same strains analysed at different times. The lack of overexpression after many months of culturing suggests a possible role of physiological plasticity in response to growth under controlled laboratory conditions. While further investigation on the possible central role of TEs in the diatom stress response is warranted, the strain-specific responses and possible role of in-culture evolution draw attention to the interplay between the high intraspecific variability and the physiological plasticity of diatoms, which can both contribute to the adaptation of a species to a wide range of conditions in the marine environment.
Highlights
Diatoms are among the most common types of phytoplankton and one of the most successful clades of eukaryotic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms in the modern ocean [1]
Based on the V9 region included in the beginning of ITS marker, none of the strains belonged to the possible cold adapted population found in the worldwide high throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis [51]
Variability within species is a relevant issue especially when studying the potential for adaptation of phytoplankton, which instead is often extrapolated from single strain responses of representative species
Summary
Diatoms are among the most common types of phytoplankton and one of the most successful clades of eukaryotic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms in the modern ocean [1]. They are widespread in the plankton and benthos of freshwater, coastal and oceanic habitats and even in temporarily wet terrestrial environments. Considering the high adaptability of diatoms, it could be hard to interpret the intra-specific algal diversity observed in related studies as the result of (a) adaptation to the natural environment from which strains were isolated or (b) evolutionary changes while being in culture
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
