title: Recent progress in diatom genomics and epigenomics.
abstract: Diatoms are one of the most diverse and successful groups of phytoplankton at the base of the food chain, sustaining life in the ocean and performing vital biogeochemical functions. The last fifteen years have witnessed the comprehensive analysis of several diatom genomes, revealing that they bear traces of their endosymbiotic origins from algal and heterotrophic ancestors, as well as significant gene transfer from bacteria. Their chimeric genomes are further regulated by a range of chromatin-based processes that are characteristic of both plant and animal genomes. We discuss the conservation of gene regulatory mechanisms in diatoms and propose that epigenetic processes may have a significant role in mediating responses to a highly dynamic and unpredictable environment in these organisms.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75005 Paris, France. Electronic address: tirichin@biologie.ens.fr.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tirichine
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Achal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rastogi
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, 46 rue d'Ulm, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowler
mesh_terms: D017377:Diatoms / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D014644:Genetic Variation; D023281:Genomics / Q000639:trends*