Green evolution and dynamic adaptations revealed by genomes of the marine picoeukaryotes Micromonas

TitleGreen evolution and dynamic adaptations revealed by genomes of the marine picoeukaryotes Micromonas
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsWorden AZ, Lee J.-H, Mock T, Rouzé P, Simmons MP, Aerts AL, Allen AE, Cuvelier ML, Derelle E, Everett MV, Foulon E, Grimwood J, Gundlach H, Henrissat B, Napoli C, McDonald SM, Parker MS, Rombauts S, Salamov A, Von Dassow P, Badger JH, Coutinho PM, Demir E, Dubchak I, Gentemann C, Eikrem W, Gready JE, John U, Lanier W, Lindquist EA, Lucas S, Mayer KFX, Moreau H, Not F, Otillar R, Panaud O, Pangilinan J, Paulsen I, Piegu B, Poliakov A, Robbens S, Schmutz J, Toulza E, Wyss T, Zelensky A, Zhou K, Armbrust EV, Bhattacharya D, Goodenough UW, Van de Peer Y, Grigoriev IV
JournalScience
Volume324
Pagination268–272
Keywordsrcc, RCC299, RCC827, SBR$_\textrmP$hyto$_\textrmD$PO, SBR$_\textrmP$hyto$_\textrmE$PPO
Abstract

The photosynthetic picoeukaryote Micromonas thrives from tropical to polar marine ecosystems and belongs to an anciently diverged sister clade to land plants. We sequenced genomes from two Micromonas isolates (22 Mb, CCMP1545; 21 Mb, RCC299) and the results improve understanding of their ecology and green-lineage evolution. Despite high 18S rDNA sequence identity, only 90% of their predicted genes were shared. Novel intronic repeat elements in CCMP1545, otherwise found only in metagenomic data, and unique riboswitch arrangements emphasized their independent evolutionary paths. Phylogenomic profiles revealed putative ancestral features, but also indicated selection/acquisition processes are actively shaping a ‘unique' gene pool in each differently than ‘core' genes. Current climate-change trajectories are predicted to produce conditions favoring picophytoplankton, making Micromonas potential indicators of biological change in ocean ecosystems.

DOI10.1126/science.1167222