Transcriptome of the coralline alga Calliarthron tuberculosum (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) reveals convergent evolution of a partial lignin biosynthesis pathway

The discovery of lignins in the coralline red alga Calliarthron tuberculosum raised new questions about the deep evolution of lignin biosynthesis. Here we present the transcriptome of C. tuberculosum supported with newly generated genomic data to identify gene candidates from the monolignol biosynth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2022-07, Vol.17 (7), p.e0266892-e0266892
Main Authors: Xue, Jan Y, Hind, Katharine R, Lemay, Matthew A, Mcminigal, Andrea, Jourdain, Emma, Chan, Cheong Xin, Martone, Patrick T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Analysis
Biology and Life Sciences
Biosynthesis
Calcification
Calliarthron tuberculosum
Convergence
Convergence (Biology)
Cyanobacteria
Datasets
Ecology
Engineering and Technology
Enzymes
Evolution
Genes
Genetic transcription
Genomes
Genomics
Lignin
Metabolic pathways
Metabolism
Physical Sciences
Research and Analysis Methods
Rhodophyta
Sucrose
Transcriptomes
Transcriptomics
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Summary:The discovery of lignins in the coralline red alga Calliarthron tuberculosum raised new questions about the deep evolution of lignin biosynthesis. Here we present the transcriptome of C. tuberculosum supported with newly generated genomic data to identify gene candidates from the monolignol biosynthetic pathway using a combination of sequence similarity-based methods. We identified candidates in the monolignol biosynthesis pathway for the genes 4CL, CCR, CAD, CCoAOMT, and CSE but did not identify candidates for PAL, CYP450 (F5H, C3H, C4H), HCT, and COMT. In gene tree analysis, we present evidence that these gene candidates evolved independently from their land plant counterparts, suggesting convergent evolution of a complex multistep lignin biosynthetic pathway in this red algal lineage. Additionally, we provide tools to extract metabolic pathways and genes from the newly generated transcriptomic and genomic datasets. Using these methods, we extracted genes related to sucrose metabolism and calcification. Ultimately, this transcriptome will provide a foundation for further genetic and experimental studies of calcifying red algae.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266892