Genome sequence of a coccolithophore haptophyte Chrysotila haptonemofera
Coccolithophorids are a group of haptophytes that produce calcite-containing scales (coccoliths) within a specialized organelle, the coccolith vesicle, and play an important role in the global ocean carbon cycle through both photosynthesis and calcification. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying coccolith formation remain unclear. In this project, we sequenced the draft genome of the coccolithophorid Chrysotila haptonemofera (Coccolithales) and identified candidate genes involved in calcification through comparative genomic analyses. We compared RNA-seq datasets of two strains of this species, C-cell and N-cell, which have and do not have coccoliths, respectively. The N-cell is a natural mutant of the C-cell.