Gillard, J.

Huysman, M.J.J.

Inzé, D.

Martens, C.

Van de Peer, Y.

Vandepoele, K.

Vyverman, W.

Open Marine Archive

  - 49 -
REGULATION OF THE CELL CYCLE IN THE DIATOM PHAEODACTYLUM 
TRICORNUTUM 
Huysman Marie J.J.1,2,3, Cindy Martens2,3, Jeroen Gillard1, Klaas Vandepoele2,3, 
Dirk Inzé2,3, Yves Van de Peer2,3, Lieven De Veylder2,3 and Wim Vyverman1  
1 Universiteit Gent, Vakgroep Biologie, Afdeling Protistologie en Aquatische Ecologie, 
Krijgslaan 281 S-8, 9000 Gent, Belgium  
E-mail: Marie.Huysman@UGent.be  
2 Universiteit Gent, Vakgroep Moleculaire Genetica, Technologiepark 927,  
9052 Gent, Belgium 
3 Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Department Plant Systems Biology, 
Technologiepark 927, 9052 Gent, Belgium 
 
Despite the enormous importance of diatoms in aquatic ecosystems and their broad 
industrial potential, little is know about diatom life cycle control. Classical microscopic 
studies already suggested that cell division in diatoms differs structurally and 
mechanistically from mitosis in animals and plants. However, it is unclear how these 
differences are reflected at the molecular level. The recent genome sequencing of the 
centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (Armbrust et al., 2004) and the pennate 
Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bowler et al., 2008) provides the basis to explore the level 
of conservation of cell cycle components in diatoms.  
Here, we present the annotation of key cell cycle regulators in P. tricornutum, including 
the identification of evolutionary conserved cell cycle molecules like cyclin-dependent 
kinases (CDKs), cyclins and their activators and inhibitors. We identified counterparts of 
both animal and plant cell cycle regulators, as well as a group of diatom-specific 
cyclins. Next, we developed a system to synchronize the cell cycle in P. tricornutum cells. 
This system allowed us to follow the transcript expression of the annotated genes during 
the different phases of the cell cycle using real-time quantitative PCR. Together, our 
data indicate that diatom division is regulated not only by highly conserved but also by 
new and unique mechanisms.   
References 
Armbrust E.V., J.A. Berges, C. Bowler, B.R. Green, D. Martinez, et al. 2004. The genome of the 
diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: ecology, evolution, and metabolism. Science 306:79-
86. 
Bowler C., A.E. Allen, J.H. Badger, J. Grimwood, K. Jabbari, et al. 2008. The Phaeodactylum 
genome reveals the evolutionary history of diatom genomes. Nature 456:239-244. 
 


Regulation of the cell cycle in the diatom <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i>

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