A research team led by Professor Li Guoliang from Huazhong Agricultural University, in collaboration with Professor Chen Hao's team from Southern University of Science and Technology, has successfully developed the world's first comprehensive dinoflagellate multi-omics database, known as DinoSource. Their findings were published in the prestigious Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Dinoflagellates are a highly diverse group of phytoplankton crucial to coral reef ecosystems. However, abnormal growth of these organisms can lead to harmful algal blooms, causing significant ecological and economic damage.

To better understand these organisms, the research team integrated genomic and multi-omics data from 20 dinoflagellate species and 703 datasets. The database includes DNA 5hmU immunoprecipitation sequencing (5hmU DIP-seq), N1-methyladenosine RNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (m1A RIP-seq), bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq), high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing (Hi-C), assay for transposase accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq).

Each dataset was processed using a standardized analysis pipeline. The DinoSource database provides researchers with powerful visualization tools. Multi-omics data can be viewed through the WashU Epigenome Browser, while 3D genomic data is visualized using the HiGlass platform.

DinoSource collects and processes high-throughput transcriptomic data across various treatment conditions, standardizing expression levels using transcripts per million (TPM) for comparative purposes. It features a user-friendly Transcriptome page that allows users to retrieve data by gene ID or specific GO terms and KEGG categories to explore gene expression profiles associated with particular pathways.

The core functionality of the DinoSource database. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]