The cell wall polysaccharides of a photosynthetic relative of apicomplexans, Chromera velia

0555189 - BC 2022 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Tortorelli, G. - Pettolino, F. - Lai, De Hua - Tomčala, Aleš - Bacic, A. - Oborník, Miroslav - Lukeš, Julius - McFadden, G.
The cell wall polysaccharides of a photosynthetic relative of apicomplexans, Chromera velia.
Journal of Phycology. Roč. 57, č. 6 (2021), s. 1805-1809. ISSN 0022-3646. E-ISSN 1529-8817
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000759; GA ČR(CZ) GA21-03224S
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : life-cycle * ultrastructure * dinoflagellate * morphology * evolution * Alveolata * calcofluor white * cell wall * cellulose * Chromera velia * chromerids * monosaccharide linkage analysis
OECD category: Microbiology
Impact factor: 3.173, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpy.13211

Chromerids are a group of alveolates, found in corals, that show peculiar morphological and genomic features. These organisms are evolutionary placed in-between symbiotic dinoflagellates and parasitic apicomplexans. There are two known species of chromerids: Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. Here, the biochemical composition of the C. velia cell wall was analyzed. Several polysaccharides adorn this structure, with glucose being the most abundant monosaccharide (approx. 80%) and predominantly 4-linked (approx. 60%), suggesting that the chromerids cell wall is mostly cellulosic. The presence of cellulose was cytochemically confirmed with calcofluor white staining of the algal cell. The remaining wall polysaccharides, assuming structures are similar to those of higher plants, are indicative of a mixture of galactans, xyloglucans, heteroxylans, and heteromannans. The present work provides, for the first time, insights into the outermost layers of the photosynthetic alveolate C. velia.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0329712