Insights into agar and secondary metabolite pathways from the genome of the red alga Gracilaria domingensis (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales)

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:46:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Gracilariales is a clade of florideophycean red macroalgae known for being the main source of agar. We present a de novo genome assembly and annotation of Gracilaria domingensis, an agarophyte alga with flattened thallus widely distributed along Central and South American Atlantic intertidal zones. In addition to structural analysis, an organizational comparison was done with other Rhodophyta genomes. The nuclear genome has 78 Mbp, with 11,437 predicted coding genes, 4,075 of which did not have hits in sequence databases. We also predicted 1,567 noncoding RNAs, distributed in 14 classes. The plastid and mitochondrion genome structures were also obtained. Genes related to agar synthesis were identified. Genes for type II galactose sulfurylases could not be found. Genes related to ascorbate synthesis were found. These results suggest an intricate connection of cell wall polysaccharide synthesis and the redox systems through the use of L-galactose in Rhodophyta. The genome of G. domingensis should be valuable to phycological and aquacultural research, as it is the first tropical and Western Atlantic red macroalgal genome to be sequenced. Laboratory of Algal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department of Biochemistry Institute of Chemistry University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu, Prestes, 748, SP CNRS UMR 7232 Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM) Sorbonne Université, Observatoire Océanologique - F-66650 Department of Botany Institute of Biosciences University of São Paulo, R Matão 277, SP Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas Universidad de Chile Universidad de Chile - Independencia Department of Oceanography and Limnology Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte - Via Costeira, Praia de Mãe Luiza, s/n, RN Phycology Research Center Institute of Botany Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment of São Paulo State, Brazil - Av. Miguel Estefano, 3687, Água Funda, SP School of Pharmaceutical Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rod. Araraquara-Jaú km 1, Campus Ville, SP Station Biologique de Roscoff UMR 8227 Integrative Biology of Marine Models - CS 90074 Department of Biochemistry Institute of Chemistry University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748, SP School of Pharmaceutical Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rod. Araraquara-Jaú km 1, Campus Ville, SP