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Updated: May 18, 2026

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-sensitive FISH Detection of Locus-specific Ribosomal RNA Transcription in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: March 28, 2025
Dinoflagellate tandem array gene transcripts are highly conserved and not polycistronic.
Mathieu Beauchemin1, Sougata Roy, Philippe Daoust
1Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Researchers created a comprehensive gene catalog for the marine dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum, revealing highly conserved tandem array transcripts and potential horizontal gene transfer events. This advances understanding of dinoflagellate gene expression and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Genomics
- Molecular evolution
Background:
- Dinoflagellates possess large genomes with problematic tandem gene arrays, hindering genomic studies.
- Little is known about the expression and conservation of these dinoflagellate gene arrays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assemble a comprehensive gene catalog for Lingulodinium polyedrum.
- To investigate the expression, conservation, and evolutionary origins of dinoflagellate gene arrays using RNA-Seq.
Main Methods:
- De novo transcriptome assembly using RNA-Seq (Illumina) reads.
- Analysis of gene catalog completeness against EST datasets and KEGG pathways.
- Assessment of sequence conservation and identification of bacterial homologs in tandem array genes.
Main Results:
- A gene catalog of 74,655 contigs was assembled, representing the dinoflagellate transcriptome well.
- Underrepresentation of DNA-binding proteins was observed, but no evidence for polycistronic transcription was found.
- Tandem array transcripts are highly conserved, with some sequences showing bacterial origins suggestive of horizontal gene transfer.
Conclusions:
- The study provides the most complete dinoflagellate gene catalog to date.
- RNA-Seq successfully addressed fundamental questions about dinoflagellate transcription and sequence conservation.
- Findings shed light on the evolution of gene arrays and potential horizontal gene transfer in dinoflagellates.
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