Omics in algae: transcriptomics and metabolomics of the cadmium exposed green freshwater alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

A. Jamers1, O.A.H. Jones2, R. Blust1 and W. De Coen1

1Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Dept. of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium 2Dept of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB21QW, United Kingdom

In recent years, omics technologies have gained popularity: transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics offer the possibility to get a better insight into the molecular constituents of cells and the relationships between them, and eventually provide the missing links in a systems biological approach. In an environmental or ecotoxicological context, omics technologies can be deployed to elucidate higher level effects in terms of changes occurring at lower levels of biological organization, thereby expanding our mechanistic understanding of the observed effects. Moreover, once changes at the molecular biological level can be linked to higher level changes, biomarkers can be developed that allow rapid detection of toxicity, even before adverse effects become visible at the physiological level. We exposed the green freshwater alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to different cadmium concentrations and assessed changes in the transcriptome as well as in the metabolome. Differential gene expression was determined by means of microarray hybridizations, whereas a combination of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used for metabolic fingerprinting. Results obtained at both levels will be discussed in relationship to each other as well as in relationship to effects observed on growth and growth rate.

e-mail address of presenting author: an.jamers@ua.ac.be