小柯机器人

美国麻省大学医学院Job Dekker等研究人员合作揭示鞭毛藻独特染色体的遗传和空间组织。相关论文于2021年4月29日在线发表于国际学术期刊《自然—遗传学》。

研究人员组装了珊瑚内共生菌Symbiodinium microadriaticum基因组94个染色体规模的框架，并分析了它们的组织。基因向染色体末端富集，并排列在交替的单向区块中。一些染色体富集了涉及特定生物学过程的基因。染色体折叠成线性杆状，每个由一系列由边界分隔的结构域组成。

域边界位于两个基因块的转录会聚并消失的位点，当用阻止转录的化学物质处理细胞时，结果表明基因方向、转录和染色体折叠之间存在相关性。Symbiodinium microadriaticum基因组的遗传和空间组织为深入研究鞭毛藻及其染色体的生物学特性奠定了基础。

据介绍，鞭毛藻是海洋中的主要初级生产者，也是藻类大量繁殖和海洋无脊椎动物内生共生菌的原因。关于它们的生物学，包括它们独特的结晶染色体，还有许多尚待了解。

附：英文原文

Title: Genetic and spatial organization of the unusual chromosomes of the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum

Author: Ankita Nand, Ye Zhan, Octavio R. Salazar, Manuel Aranda, Christian R. Voolstra, Job Dekker

Issue&Volume: 2021-04-29

Abstract: Dinoflagellates are main primary producers in the oceans, the cause of algal blooms and endosymbionts of marine invertebrates. Much remains to be understood about their biology, including their peculiar crystalline chromosomes. We assembled 94 chromosome-scale scaffolds of the genome of the coral endosymbiont Symbiodinium microadriaticum and analyzed their organization. Genes are enriched towards the ends of chromosomes and are arranged in alternating unidirectional blocks. Some chromosomes are enriched for genes involved in specific biological processes. The chromosomes fold as linear rods and each is composed of a series of structural domains separated by boundaries. Domain boundaries are positioned at sites where transcription of two gene blocks converges and disappear when cells are treated with chemicals that block transcription, indicating correlations between gene orientation, transcription and chromosome folding. The description of the genetic and spatial organization of the S. microadriaticum genome provides a foundation for deeper exploration of the extraordinary biology of dinoflagellates and their chromosomes. Genome assembly of the coral endosymbiont Symbiodinium microadriaticum shows that genes are arranged in alternating unidirectional blocks and are enriched at the ends of chromosomes. Chromosomes are composed of structural domains separated by boundaries that disappear when transcription is blocked.

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00841-y

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-021-00841-y

Nature Genetics：《自然—遗传学》，创刊于1992年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：41.307
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