title: A sex-inducing pheromone triggers cell cycle arrest and mate attraction in the diatom Seminavis robusta.
abstract: Although sexual reproduction is believed to play a major role in the high diversification rates and species richness of diatoms, a mechanistic understanding of diatom life cycle control is virtually lacking. Diatom sexual signalling is controlled by a complex, yet largely unknown, pheromone system. Here, a sex-inducing pheromone (SIP(+)) of the benthic pennate diatom Seminavis robusta was identified by comparative metabolomics, subsequently purified, and physicochemically characterized. Transcriptome analysis revealed that SIP(+) triggers the switch from mitosis-to-meiosis in the opposing mating type, coupled with the transcriptional induction of proline biosynthesis genes, and the release of the proline-derived attraction pheromone. The induction of cell cycle arrest by a pheromone, chemically distinct from the one used to attract the opposite mating type, highlights the existence of a sophisticated mechanism to increase chances of mate finding, while keeping the metabolic losses associated with the release of an attraction pheromone to a minimum.
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moeys
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frenkel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lembke
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biology, California State University, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311, USA.
authors.forename: Jeroen T F
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Gillard
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Devos
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van den Berge
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouillon
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marie J J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huysman
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Atle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bones
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brembu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winge
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sabbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marnik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vuylsteke
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Veylder
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pohnert
authors.affiliation: Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vyverman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D017377:Diatoms / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008540:Meiosis; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D008938:Mitosis; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D011392:Proline; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase