A mature coenobium at the end of the growth phase of a culture with cells that are accumulating oil bodies. Photo credit: Juergen Polle.

A batch culture of Scenedesmus obliquus strain UTEX B3031 grown photoautotrophically in the climate-controlled pond under diurnal conditions simulating the temperature and light conditions from February 1st (20 year average) at Key West, FL. Photo credit: Michael Huesemann.

The genome sequence and gene models of Scenedesmus obliquus strain UTEX B 3031 (=DOE0152Z) were not determined by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). The annotation was performed by Dr. Zaid McKie-Krisberg at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY). In order to allow comparative analyses with other genomes sequenced by the JGI, a copy of this genome is incorporated into the JGI Genome Portal. JGI tools were used to automatically annotate predicted proteins. Please note that the release presented here includes the gene annotation v1.0. This annotation has not been published and permission should be requested for use.

Scenedesmus obliquus strain UTEX B 3031 (=DOE0152Z)

S. obliquus belongs to the green algal class of the Chlorophyceae and to the order Sphaeropleales. Vegetative cells of S. obliquus are non-motile and often occur in coenobia (microcolonies) of four cells that are released from a mother cell. However, due to the multiple fission mode of reproduction sometimes even 8 or 16 cells may originate from one mother cell. In addition to the predominant asexual reproduction mode, S. obliquus has a sexual cell cycle that is rarely observed with gametogenesis resulting in biflagellate gametes.

The strain UTEX B 3031 is a subclone of the strain DOE0152, which had been isolated by the Polle lab at Brooklyn College of CUNY in 2010 from a water sample originating from a turtle tank. Biomass productivity of strain UTEX B 3031 had been tested in small-scale race-way ponds and the strain was robust in indoor climate-controlled ponds as well as in outdoor pond cultivation trials. This strain is emerging as a new model and a platform for biofuels feedstock and bioproduct generation.

The genome of strain UTEX B 3031 is about twice as large as the genome of the haploid strain UTEX 393. Strain UTEX B 3031 appears to be the result of a whole genome duplication and the strain is hypothesized to be the result of a hybridization event resulting in a stable hybrid diploid. The observation of both haploid and diploid natural isolates of S. obliquus adds to their potential for investigating population genetics and for understanding the fitness consequences and origins of haploid and diploid forms within the species/genus.