INTERROGATION OF METABOLIC CONTROL AND GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS DURING STRESS IN THE PICOPHYTOPLANKTON PICOCHLORUM CELERI USING MULTIOMICS

As an important constituent of the marine picophytoplankton, photosynthetic eukaryotes such as Picholorum celeri play an important role in the global carbon cycle and primary productivity in coastal ecosystems. In addition, small cell size and high growth rates make them ideal candidates for biomass production and potential applications in the mitigation of CO2 emissions. Using multiomics data from a multi-factorial-design experiment and modeling approaches, we integrated proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics into a systems biology model to probe the complex interactions between metabolism, rhythmicity, cell-cycle, and stress. We employed state of the art methods such as DNA affinity purification sequencing (Dap-seq), to build a regulatory network that, when combined with the metabolic model of P. celeri, provided a mechanistic understanding of the cellular processes at the interplay between metabolism and gene regulation. The results highlighted key adaptations of P. celeri to high salinity and temperature, and the ability to shift carbon fixation strategies accordingly through the orchestration of multiple molecular pathways in concert with key rhythmic cellular processes. The research framework established in this study underscores the critical role of multiomics integration in exploring non-model organisms and expanding our foundational understanding of molecular pathways in algae across various ecosystems.

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Bishoy Kamel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (bskamel@lbl.gov)

Authors:

Bishoy Kamel, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (bskamel@lbl.gov)

Colin Kruse, Los Alamos National Laboratory  (krusec@lanl.gov)

Sara Calhoun, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (secalhoun@lbl.gov)

Katherine Louie, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (kblouie@lbl.gov)

Benjamin Bowen, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (bpbowen@lbl.gov)

Ian Blaby, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (ikblaby@lbl.gov)

Cindy Chen, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (cindychen@lbl.gov)

Yu Zhang, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (yzhang13@lbl.gov)

Leo Baumgart, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (lbaumgart@lbl.gov)

Ronan O'Malley, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (romalley@lbl.gov)

Trent Northen, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (trnorthen@lbl.gov)

Song Gao, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory  (song.gao@pnnl.gov)

Scott Edmundson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory  (scott.edmundson@pnnl.gov)

Michael Huesemann, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory  (michael.huesemann@pnnl.gov)

Shawn Starkenburg, Los Alamos National Laboratory  (shawns@lanl.gov)

Igor Grigoriev, US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (ivgrigoriev@lbl.gov)