Polarella glacialis genomes encode tandem repeats of single-exon genes with functions critical to adaptation of dinoflagellates

Abstract

Dinoflagellates are taxonomically diverse, ecologically important phytoplankton in marine and freshwater environments. Here, we present two draft diploid genome assemblies of the free-living dinoflagellate Polarella glacialis, isolated from the Arctic and Antarctica. For each genome, guided using full-length transcriptome data, we predicted >50,000 high-quality genes. About 68% of the genome is repetitive sequence; long terminal repeats likely contribute to intra-species structural divergence and distinct genome sizes (3.0 and 2.7 Gbp). Of all genes, [~]40% are encoded unidirectionally, [~]25% comprised of single exons. Multi-genome comparison unveiled genes specific to P. glacialis and a common, putatively bacterial, origin of ice-binding domains in cold-adapted dinoflagellates. Our results elucidate how selection acts within the context of a complex genome structure to facilitate local adaptation. Since most dinoflagellate genes are constitutively expressed, Polarella glacialis has enhanced transcriptional responses via unidirectional, tandem duplication of single-exon genes that encode functions critical to survival in cold, low-light environments.