12th International Conference on Harmful Algae

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF HARMFUL ALGAE12 th <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Harmful Algae, Copenhagen, Denmark, 4-8 September 2006and Takayama. These assays usedspecies-specific primers togetherwith species specific dual-labelledfluorogenic probes for maximumsensitivity and specificity. Detectionlevels of one single cell could beconsistently achieved using thistechnology, significantly reducingthe need for skilled microscopy inrouting monitoring. This wascombined with the use of a crudelysate for optimal quantitation toproduce a result that can be directlychecked against existing actionleveltables for target species.Alexandrium probes were alsosuccessful in detectinghypnozygotes, extending the rageof possible applications to routinesediment surveys and ballast watermonitoring.PL.07Diatom genomics: new insightsinto diatom toxicitySession: PL..07 - Plenary VII - GenomicsPresentation time: 08:30 - 09:05Virginia ArmbrustUniversity of Washington, SEATTLE,United States of AmericaWhole genome sequences for twodiatoms, Thalassiosira pseudonana(centric diatom) and Phaeodactylumtricornutum (pennate diatom) havebeen completed and are (or soonwill be) publicly available. Wholegenome sequencing of the toxigenicdiatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseriesis now underway and is scheduledto be completed in 2007. Under stillpoorly defined environmentalconditions, Pseudo-nitzschiaspecies can produce the neurotoxindomoic acid, which is the causativeagent of amnesic shellfishpoisoning. The growing data baseof DNA sequence informationallows new approaches tounderstand specific aspects ofdiatom physiology such as toxinproduction. For example,comparative and whole genometranscriptional analyses are beingused to define features that appearcommon to diatoms in general andspecific to pennate or centricdiatoms in particular. In addition, inadvance of the availability of thewhole genome sequenceinformation for P. multiseries, weare using subtractive hybridizationapproaches to identify genesspecifically upregulated whenPseudo-nitzschia species arelimited with silicate and induced toproduce domoic acid. Ultimately,we will use this data base to askquestions about field populations ofPseudo-nitzschia. I will highlightways in which genome data can beused to ask questions aboutdifferent aspects of phytoplanktonphysiology and ecology.O.17-01Nutrient-regulated transcriptionalchanges in Aureococcusanophagefferens identified withlong-SAGE (serial analysis ofgene expression)Session: O.17 - GenomicsPresentation time: 09:10 - 09:30ST Dyhrman, ST Haley, LL Wurch, EDOrchardWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution,WOODS HOLE, United States of AmericaNutrient availability can influenceimportant aspects of harmful algaebiology and ecology, such asgrowth, toxin production, and lifecycle transformations. Despite theimportance of nutritional physiologyto these processes, fundamentalgaps remain in our understanding ofnutrient-scavenging mechanisms inharmful species. Using long-serialanalysis of gene expression (Long-67