Genomics of the haptophyte Chrysochromulina tobin: Cell Division, Lipid Production and

Storage in an Oil Producing Alga

Blake Hovde

University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, Biology

Rose Ann Cattolico Lab

Do we need to study new algal species?

The benefit is two fold: New models to study desirable algal traits

-biological/metabolic

More desirable traits available-better starting point for manipulation

Plummeting sequencing costs provide great opportunity

Sequencing projects on algal species are increasing in number

Keeling et al. MMETSP project PLOS Bio 2014

Chrysochromulina tobin

Deodato, Barlow, Hovde et. al. (in final preparation)

Chrysochromulina tobin as a model organism

Sexual Reproduction?

--Likely, and is ideal for genetics

Lipid Accumulation

Lipid Depletion

24 hours:

12 hours dark / 12 hours light

Isolation of C. tobin

Environmental Sample Antibiotic

treatments

Reiterative flow cytometry

Sequencing

Cleaned Culture

Lab conditions

Sequencing and gene annotation pipeline

Blast2GO

•Genomes:• Mitochondrial• Chloroplast• Nuclear

•Transcriptomes:• 7 time points over

photoperiod•Proteomes• Whole cell• Lipid body isolation

KEGG database

“Omes” competed:

High throughput sequencing (Illumina and 454)

Assembly

Hovde et. al. (BMC Genomics 2014), Hovde et. al. (in final preparation), Brunelle et. al. (in prep)

Lipid pathway from Radakovits et. al. 2010

Dependable fatty acid content of C. tobin

X ug/L production

Proposed standard for fatty acid content

Bigelow et. al. (Algal Research, 2013)

• DHA• EPA• Stearic• Palmitic• Myristic• …etc…

Total lipid ~17mg/L

Mixotrophy and defense systems for algal biomass production

Genomic identification of multiple defense/mixotrophic mechanisms Useful for large pond cultures

Potential for engineering/culture maintenance

Hovde et. al. (in final preparation)

Fatty acid productivity is increased when grown w/ bacteria

New algal model species are easier and cheaper than ever before to develop

Flow cytometery, antibiotics

‘Omics’ costs / informatics

New species can provide new metabolic pathway insights

Co-culturing provides opportunities for higher productivity in C. tobin

New species provide mor”e parts” for engineering efforts Current generation genome editing tools are powerful

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Monnat Lab (UW)• Ray Monnat• Ryan Sinit

Cattolico Lab (UW)• Rose Ann Cattolico• Chloe Deodato• Heather Huntsperger• Will Yost• John Patterson• Stephanie Brunelle• Bill Hardin

Los Alamos Natl Lab

• Shannon Johnson• Shawn Starkenburg

Rocap Lab (UW)• Gabrielle Rocap• Cedar McKay

Funding and support:

Pacific Northwest Natl. Lab

• Mary Lipton