Sien Audoor, Gust Bilcke, Katerina Pargana, Darja Belišová, Sander Thierens, Michiel Van Bel, Lieven Sterck, Nadine Rijsdijk, Rossella Annunziata, Maria Immacolata Ferrante, Klaas Vandepoele, Wim Vyverman
Sexual reproduction is a major driver of adaptation and speciation in eukaryotes. In diatoms, siliceous microalgae with a unique cell size reduction-restitution life cycle and among the world's most prolific primary producers, sex also acts as the main mechanism for cell size restoration through the formation of an expanding auxospore. However, the molecular regulators of the different stages of sexual reproduction and size restoration are poorly explored. Here, we combined RNA sequencing with the assembly of a 55 Mbp reference genome for Cylindrotheca closterium to identify patterns of gene expression during different stages of sexual reproduction...
March 20, 2024: Molecular Ecology