Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology

Authors

• Drahomíra Faktorová, Jihočeská Univerzita v Českých Budějovicích
• R. Ellen R. Nisbet, University of Cambridge
• José A. Fernández Robledo, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
• Elena Casacuberta, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona
• Lisa Sudek, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
• Andrew E. Allen, Integrative Oceanography Division
• Manuel Ares, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Cristina Aresté, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona
• Cecilia Balestreri, University of Southampton
• Adrian C. Barbrook, University of Cambridge
• Patrick Beardslee, School of Biological Sciences
• Sara Bender, Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation
• David S. Booth, University of California, Berkeley
• François Yves Bouget, Sorbonne Université
• Chris Bowler, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure
• Susana A. Breglia, Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics
• Colin Brownlee, University of Southampton
• Gertraud Burger, Robert Cedergren Centre
• Heriberto Cerutti, School of Biological Sciences
• Rachele Cesaroni, University of Bern
• Miguel A. Chiurillo, University of Georgia
• Thomas Clemente, School of Biological Sciences
• Duncan B. Coles, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
• Jackie L. Collier, Stony Brook University
• Elizabeth C. Cooney, The University of British Columbia
• Kathryn Coyne, College of Earth, Ocean and Environment
• Roberto Docampo, University of Georgia
• Christopher L. Dupont, J. Craig Venter Institute
• Virginia Edgcomb, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Elin Einarsson, University of Cambridge
• Pía A. Elustondo, Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics
• Deborah Robertson, Clark UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Diverse microbial ecosystems underpin life in the sea. Among these microbes are many unicellular eukaryotes that span the diversity of the eukaryotic tree of life. However, genetic tractability has been limited to a few species, which do not represent eukaryotic diversity or environmentally relevant taxa. Here, we report on the development of genetic tools in a range of protists primarily from marine environments. We present evidence for foreign DNA delivery and expression in 13 species never before transformed and for advancement of tools for eight other species, as well as potential reasons for why transformation of yet another 17 species tested was not achieved. Our resource in genetic manipulation will provide insights into the ancestral eukaryotic lifeforms, general eukaryote cell biology, protein diversification and the evolution of cellular pathways.

This article has 113 total authors; only 32 are listed here.

Publication Title

Nature Methods

Publication Date

5-1-2020

Volume

17

Issue

5

First Page

481

Last Page

494

ISSN

1548-7091

DOI

10.1038/s41592-020-0796-x

Keywords

biodiversity; DNA, ecosystem, environment, Eukaryota, green fluorescent proteins, marine biology, models, biological, species specificity, transformation, genetic

Repository Citation

Faktorová, Drahomíra; Nisbet, R. Ellen R.; Fernández Robledo, José A.; Casacuberta, Elena; Sudek, Lisa; Allen, Andrew E.; Ares, Manuel; Aresté, Cristina; Balestreri, Cecilia; Barbrook, Adrian C.; Beardslee, Patrick; Bender, Sara; Booth, David S.; Bouget, François Yves; Bowler, Chris; Breglia, Susana A.; Brownlee, Colin; Burger, Gertraud; Cerutti, Heriberto; Cesaroni, Rachele; Chiurillo, Miguel A.; Clemente, Thomas; Coles, Duncan B.; Collier, Jackie L.; Cooney, Elizabeth C.; Coyne, Kathryn; Docampo, Roberto; Dupont, Christopher L.; Edgcomb, Virginia; Einarsson, Elin; Elustondo, Pía A.; and Robertson, Deborah, "Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology" (2020). Biology. 29.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_biology/29

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright Conditions

Published source must be acknowledged with citation: Faktorová, D., Nisbet, R. E. R., Fernández Robledo, J. A., Casacuberta, E., Sudek, L., Allen, A. E., ... & Lukeš, J. (2020). Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology. Nature Methods, 17(5), 481-494.