MRP3 is a sex determining gene in the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata

Monia T. Russo, Laura Vitale, Laura Entrambasaguas, Konstantinos Anestis, Neri Fattorini, Filomena Romano, Carmen Minucci, Pasquale De Luca, Elio Biffali, Wim Vyverman, Remo Sanges, Marina Montresor and Maria I. Ferrante ()
Additional contact information
Monia T. Russo: Villa Comunale
Laura Vitale: Villa Comunale
Laura Entrambasaguas: Villa Comunale
Konstantinos Anestis: Villa Comunale
Neri Fattorini: Villa Comunale
Filomena Romano: Villa Comunale
Carmen Minucci: Villa Comunale
Pasquale De Luca: Villa Comunale
Elio Biffali: Villa Comunale
Wim Vyverman: Ghent University
Remo Sanges: Villa Comunale
Marina Montresor: Villa Comunale
Maria I. Ferrante: Villa Comunale

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract A broad diversity of sex-determining systems has evolved in eukaryotes. However, information on the mechanisms of sex determination for unicellular microalgae is limited, including for diatoms, key-players of ocean food webs. Here we report the identification of a mating type (MT) determining gene for the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. By comparing the expression profile of the two MTs, we find five MT-biased genes, of which one, MRP3, is expressed exclusively in MT+ strains in a monoallelic manner. A short tandem repeat of specific length in the region upstream of MRP3 is consistently present in MT+ and absent in MT− strains. MRP3 overexpression in an MT− strain induces sex reversal: the transgenic MT− can mate with another MT− strain and displays altered regulation of the other MT-biased genes, indicating that they lie downstream. Our data show that a relatively simple genetic program is involved in defining the MT in P. multistriata.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07496-0

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