Using single‐cell genomics to understand developmental processes and cell fate decisions

High‐throughput ‐omics techniques have revolutionised biology, allowing for thorough and unbiased characterisation of the molecular states of biological systems. However, cellular decision‐making is inherently a unicellular process to which “bulk” ‐omics techniques are poorly suited, as they capture ensemble averages of cell states. Recently developed single‐cell methods bridge this gap, allowing high‐throughput molecular surveys of individual cells. In this review, we cover core concepts of analysis of single‐cell gene expression data and highlight areas of developmental biology where single‐cell techniques have made important contributions. These include understanding of cell‐to‐cell heterogeneity, the tracing of differentiation pathways, quantification of gene expression from specific alleles, and the future directions of cell lineage tracing and spatial gene expression analysis.     

Sulfur and primary production in aquatic environments: an ecological perspective

Sulfur is one of the critical elements in living matter, as it participates in several structural, metabolic and catalytic activities. Photosynthesis is an important process that entails the use of sulfur during both the light and carbon reactions. Nearly half of global photosynthetic carbon fixation is carried out by phytoplankton in the aquatic environment. Aquatic environments are very different from one another with respect to sulfur content: while in the oceans sulfate concentration is constantly high, freshwaters are characterized by daily and seasonal variations and by a wide range of sulfur concentration. The strategies that algal cells adopt for energy and resource allocation often reflect these differences. In the oceans, the amount and chemical form of sulfur has changed substantially during the course of the Earth's history; it is possible that sulfur availability played a role in the evolution of marine phytoplankton communities and it may continue to have appreciable effects on global biogeochemistry and ecology. Phytoplankton is also the main biogenic source of sulfur; sulfur can be released into the atmosphere by algal cells as dimethylsulfide, with possibly important repercussions on global climate. These and related matters are discussed in this review.     

Competing phytoplankton undermines allelopathy of a bloom-forming dinoflagellate

Biotic interactions in the plankton can be both complex and dynamic. Competition among phytoplankton is often chemically mediated, but no studies have considered whether allelopathic compounds are modified by biotic interactions. Here, we show that compounds exuded during Karenia brevis blooms were allelopathic to the cosmopolitan diatom Skeletonema costatum, but that bloom allelopathy varied dramatically among collections and years. We investigated several possible causes of this variability and found that neither bloom density nor concentrations of water-borne brevetoxins correlated with allelopathic potency. However, when we directly tested whether the presence of competing phytoplankton influenced bloom allelopathy, we found that S. costatum reduced the growth-inhibiting effects of bloom exudates, suggesting that S. costatum has a mechanism for undermining K. brevis allelopathy. Additional laboratory experiments indicated that inducible changes to K. brevis allelopathy were restricted to two diatoms among five sensitive phytoplankton species, whereas five other species were constitutively resistant to K. brevis allelopathy. Our results suggest that competitors differ in their responses to phytoplankton allelopathy, with S. costatum exhibiting a previously undescribed method of resistance that may influence community structure and alter bloom dynamics.     

RNA‑seq技术在水生生物生态毒理学中的应用进展

水域是地球环境的重要组成部分,也是最易受污染的生态系统之一。水生态系统中不同营养级别的水生生物可通过摄食、接触等多种途径摄入水体中的污染物。因此,监测水域污染物对水生生物和生态系统的影响,解析污染物对不同水生生物的毒性机制,筛选敏感、有效的生物标志物对生态毒理学研究和环境风险评价具有重要意义。RNA测序（RNA sequencing,RNA?seq）技术因所需样品量少,且不需参考序列,可在整体水平上鉴定基因差异表达,成为水生生物生态毒理学研究的最佳方法之一。基于此,介绍了RNA?seq技术的基本流程与数据分析过程,对该技术在不同生态位的水生生物（如鱼类、两栖类、贝类、甲壳类等）生态毒理学中的应用展开综述,并对RNA?seq技术面临的不足、挑战及发展趋势进行探讨,以期为该技术在水生生物生态毒理学研究中的应用,尤其是水生态环境中污染物胁迫水生生物机制的阐明及污染水域生态环境恢复提供参考。