Genome-wide rearrangement of protein translation levels for cell and organelle proliferation in a simple unicellular alga

Cell proliferation is a fundamental characteristic of organisms, driven by the holistic functions of multiple proteins encoded in the genome. However, the individual contributions of thousands of genes and the millions of protein molecules they express to cell proliferation are still not fully understood, even in simple eukaryotes. Here, we present proteome maps of cells during proliferation in the unicellular alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, based on the sequencing of ribosome-protected messenger RNA (mRNA) fragments. Ribosome footprint profiling of genes encoded by nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast DNAs has revealed qualitative and quantitative changes in mRNA transcription and protein translation within each gene during cell division. Comparisons of ribosome footprints from non-dividing and dividing cells allowed the identification of proteins involved in cell proliferation. Given that in vivo experiments on two selected candidate proteins identified a division-phase-specific mitochondrial nucleoid protein and a mitochondrial division protein, these results offer key insights into the comprehensive protein functions that facilitate cell and organelle division. 2 replicates in 2 different states in same strain