Transcriptomic exploration of genes related to the formation of archeospores in Pyropia yezoensis (Rhodophyta).

As an economically important marine seaweed, Pyropia yezoensis can be asexually reproduced via archeospores. However, the molecular mechanism of archeospore formation remains unclear. In this study, we characterized the transcriptomes of two strains of Py. yezoensis, which are strain W′ with abundant archeospores and strain W with scarce archeospores. The 25- and 35-day-old gametophytic blades of both strains were sampled for RNA sequencing. Based on comparative transcriptomic analysis, a large number of differential expressed genes (DEGs) of four pairwise groups between samples were generated. In an effort to identify the genes related to archeospore formation, 415 consensus DEGs reflecting the difference between two strains were investigated. Gene ontology and KEGG analysis revealed that the function for these DEGs was enriched in various processes, such as translation, ribosome assembly, RNA methylation, vesicles assembly, intracellular localization of organelles, and endocytosis. According to functional analysis on 80 selected DEGs, it indicated that genes involved in calcium and MAPK signaling pathway, cytoskeletal movement, and cell wall degradation were related to the formation of archeospores. The accuracy of RNA-seq results was validated by quantitative real-time PCR of 8 selected DEGs. These findings suggest that the molecular mechanism of archeospore formation in Py. yezoensis is sophisticated and our results will serve as an essential foundation for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]