Characterization of Chaetoceros lorenzianus-infecting DNA virus-derived promoters of genes from open reading frames of unknown function in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Takashi Kadono; Yuji Tomaru; Nao Sato; Yumi Watanabe; Kengo Suzuki; Koji Yamada; Masao Adachi

doi:10.1016/j.margen.2021.100921

Characterization of Chaetoceros lorenzianus-infecting DNA virus-derived promoters of genes from open reading frames of unknown function in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Mar Genomics. 2022 Feb:61:100921. doi: 10.1016/j.margen.2021.100921. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Authors

Takashi Kadono¹, Yuji Tomaru², Nao Sato¹, Yumi Watanabe¹, Kengo Suzuki³, Koji Yamada³, Masao Adachi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Otsu-200, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan.
² Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, National Research and Development Agency, 2-17-5 Maruishi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0452, Japan.
³ euglena Co., Ltd, G-BASE Tamachi 2nd and 3rd floor 5-29-11 Shiba Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan; Microalgae Production Control Technology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
⁴ Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Otsu-200, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan. Electronic address: madachi@kochi-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 35030498
DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2021.100921

Abstract

Promoters are key elements for the regulation of gene expression. Recently, we investigated the activity of promoters derived from marine diatom-infecting viruses (DIVs) in marine diatoms. Previously, we focused on potential promoter regions of the replication-associated protein gene and the capsid protein gene of the DIVs. In addition to these genes, two genes of unknown function (VP1 and VP4 genes) have been found in the DIV genomes. In this study, the promoter regions of the VP1 gene and VP4 gene derived from a Chaetoceros lorenzianus-infecting DNA virus (named ClP3 and ClP4, respectively) were newly isolated. ClP4 was found to be a constitutive promoter and displayed the highest activity. In particular, the 3' region of ClP4 (ClP4 3' region) showed a higher promoter activity than full-length ClP4. The ClP4 3' region might involve high-level promoter activity of ClP4. In addition, the ClP4 3' region may be useful for substance production and metabolic engineering of diatoms.

Keywords: Diatom-infecting virus; Marine diatom; Promoter; Transformation.

MeSH terms

DNA Viruses* / genetics
Diatoms* / genetics
Diatoms* / virology
Open Reading Frames*
Promoter Regions, Genetic*