International Journal of Aquaculture, 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 62-72 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ija 64 Microarray analysis, although less commonly used today, involves hybridizing cDNA to a grid of DNA probes, allowing for the simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of thousands of genes. 3.3 Key transcriptomic findings in algal research Recent transcriptomic studies have provided significant insights into the physiological and molecular responses of algae to various environmental conditions. For instance, a study on the marine toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum revealed that nutrient deficiencies (specifically nitrogen and phosphorus) significantly affect gene expression related to photosynthesis, metabolism, and toxin biosynthesis. The study found that under nutrient stress, A. minutumshifts its trophic mode to facultative mixotrophy, indicating an ecological adaptation strategy to survive in nutrient-poor environments (Figure 1) (Meng et al., 2019). Another key finding from transcriptomic research is the identification of genes involved in sexual reproduction in algae. In A. minutum, several unigenes related to sex determination, sperm-egg recognition, and mating were differentially expressed under nutrient stress conditions. This suggests that nutrient availability can influence reproductive processes, which may have implications for population dynamics and bloom formation in marine environments. Figure 1 Cluster analysis of reproductive degree related to sexual reproduction (Adopted from Meng et al., 2019) Image caption: (A) Sex determination., (B) Sperm-egg recognition., (C) Sex differentiation., (D) Mating., (E) Fertilization., (F) Cell wall biogenesis. Specific colors represent different expression levels. Red, high expression; blue, low expression (Adopted from Meng et al., 2019)
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