Award Abstract #0236631
Microbial Genome Sequencing: An EST Approach to Understanding Endosymbiotic Gene Transfer

NSF Org:	MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Initial Amendment Date:	August 23, 2002
Latest Amendment Date:	May 12, 2003
Award Number:	0236631
Award Instrument:	Continuing grant
Program Manager:	Patrick P. Dennis MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2002
Expires:	August 31, 2005 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$789987
Investigator(s):	Debashish Bhattacharya debashi-bhattacharya@uiowa.edu (Principal Investigator) Marcelo Soares (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	University of Iowa 2 GILMORE HALL IOWA CITY, IA 52242 319/335-2123
NSF Program(s):	BE: NON-ANNOUNCEMENT RESEARCH
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	BIOT, 9183, 7187, 1329, 1228
Program Element Code(s):	1629

ABSTRACT

Debashish Bhattacharya of the University of Iowa has been awarded a grant to create a genomic resource of expressed genes (ESTs) from the toxic dinoflagellate alga Alexandrium tamarense and the haptophyte alga Emiliana huxleyi. The EST data will be used to understand the role of endosymbiosis in driving nuclear genome evolution. Endosymbiosis, in which a single-celled protist engulfs and "enslaves" the photosynthetic organelle (plastid) of another cell, explains the origin of most algae. Plastid endosymbiosis necessarily changes the "host" lineage because of the large scale movement of foreign genes from the captured endosymbiont to the host nucleus. This process, known as endosymbiotic gene transfer, is required for plastid function. Despite its importance to cellular evolution, the understanding of endosymbiotic gene transfer is in its infancy. To gain fundamental insights into this process, a genomics approach is used in this research through the sequencing of 30,000 ESTs from Alexandrium and Emiliania. High-quality libraries of expressed genes are used in an efficient "gene discovery" strategy to generate a comprehensive collection of algal ESTs. Using these techniques, about 10,000 unique ESTs from each algal species will be produced.

These data will be the basis for understanding endosymbiotic gene transfer and will provide a broad community of scientists interested in topics such as algal evolution, toxin production in harmful algal blooms (HABs), carbon cycling, and genetics with an invaluable resource for studying the biology of two taxa that are of high economic and ecological importance. Alexandrium causes HABs in coastal areas resulting in paralytic shellfish poisoning, whereas Emiliania is dominant in oceanic open waters where its coccolithophore phase acts as a major carbon sink on the planet. This is a Microbial Genome Sequencing Award funded through a collaborative program between the National Science Foundation and the Department of Agriculture.

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