Alexandrium catenella. Alexandrium catenella strain:ACT03

This project is a transcriptome analysis. Sequences are cDNA fragments from normalized and subtracted expression libraries. The RNA sample was obtained from cells collected during the initiation phase of growth (or lag phase). Stationary phase cells were inoculated into a new culture medium, and then, cells were sampled for several times in the next hours during the light phase: sampling was carried out 3:00 and 5:30 hours after inoculation on the first day, and on the second day, 20:00, 21:30, 23:00, 24:30 and 25:30 hours after inoculation. The genome size of A. catenella is unknown, however, the DNA content per cell in the close species Alexandrium tamarense was estimated to be 103.5 pg DNA, i.e. about 96 Gbases. While whole sequencing of this mastodont genome is still not reachable using today?s technologies, transcriptome analyzes will be useful for understanding the mechanisms underlying growth (i.e. massive proliferations) and toxicity of Alexandrium species, and therefore, for investigating/monitoring the development of toxic blooms.