Translational costs and regulation in Amphidinium carterae: Insights from synchronized cultures with a novel quantification method

In dinoflagellates, translation regulation plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, where transcript levels remain constant. We hypothesize that dinoflagellate expression is regulated through protein translation, specifically by a diverse pool of eIF4E translation factors. A. carterae cultures were synchronized followed by quantification of translation rates and eIF4E translation factor abundance. Puromycin-incorporation (SUnSET method) was used as a measure of translation rates and Western blots were used to quantify translation factor abundance. We found that maximum rates of translation occurred during the light period, peaking just before lights-off, followed by decreasing translation during the dark period. The pattern of abundance for translation factors eIF4E-1a and eIF4E-2a correlated positively with translation rates, whereas abundance of eIF4E-1d did not correlate as well. Here we begin to summarize patterns associated with the cell cycle, diel translation rates, and eIF4E abundances in order to see how these translation factors potentially effect differential expression.