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Updated: May 17, 2025
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Multi-enzyme Screening Using a High-throughput Genetic Enzyme Screening System
Published on: August 8, 2016
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A single enzyme becomes a Swiss Army knife
1Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Plos Biology
|April 2, 2025
Summary
This study reveals how the diatom Nitzschia sing1 lost photosynthesis. A single gene transfer event enabled it to digest alginate from brown algae, opening a new ecological niche.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Genetics
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Diatoms are crucial marine phytoplankton.
- Alginate, a polysaccharide from brown algae, is typically indigestible by diatoms.
- Photosynthesis is the primary energy source for most algae.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the unique metabolic capabilities of the diatom Nitzschia sing1.
- To understand the evolutionary origin of alginate degradation in diatoms.
- To explore the implications of horizontal gene transfer in algal adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Genomic analysis of Nitzschia sing1.
- Identification of genes involved in alginate breakdown.
- Phylogenetic analysis to trace gene origin.
Main Results:
- Nitzschia sing1 acquired a complete set of alginate-degrading enzymes via horizontal gene transfer.
- This gene transfer event is linked to the loss of photosynthesis in this diatom lineage.
- The acquired machinery allows Nitzschia sing1 to utilize alginate as a carbon source.
Conclusions:
- Horizontal gene transfer can rapidly drive significant metabolic and ecological evolution in diatoms.
- Nitzschia sing1 provides a unique example of an alga potentially abandoning photosynthesis due to heterotrophic adaptation.
- This finding expands our understanding of algal diversity and adaptation strategies in marine ecosystems.
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