Broadly my interests relate to the evolution of reproductive strategies and how these adaptations function to provide mechanisms for organisms to persist in the extreme environment of the intertidal zone. I am currently focusing on the red algal parasitic life-style and how reproductive adaptation in closely related species allows for persistence of parasitic associations between closely related taxa.

Red Algal Adelphoparasites

My interests here are principally related to the developmental similarities between the adelphoparasite and its host’s life history stages, and how these evolutionary adaptations are conserved across both other adelphoparasite and alloparasites (those parasites infecting more distantly related taxa) in red algae. In a approach utilizing next gen sequencing, observations, and biological manipulations, we intend to understand the genetic underpinnings that have allowed these multiple evolutionary events of parasitism in the red algae.

Red algal parasites are ideal model organisms for investigating the origins of a parasitic life-style for two important reasons. First, many red algal parasites share an immediate common ancestor with their host, earning them the title adelphoparasites (adelphose is the Greek term for “kin”). Because of this sister-species relationship between parasite and host, the cellular and genomic changes occurring early in the evolution of a parasite, as well as information on host/parasite co-evolutionary dynamics can be assessed through direct comparison of adelphoparasites and their hosts. Additionally, red algal parasites have an interesting infection mechanism, which resembles mitotic amplification of a fertilization event found in the normal triphasic life history of floridiophyte red algae. I believe this mechanism, unique to the red algae, has allowed for the large number of independent evolutions of parasites with the lineage.

National Science Foundation Porphyra/Algal genome Research Coordination Network

Asexual and sexual reproduction is widespread throughout many clades in the tree of life. Theories on the advantage of sexual reproduction hypothesize that sexual offspring have adaptive advantages due to genetic recombination, even though sexual reproduction generally results in lower recruitment potential compared to asexual reproduction. Conversely, models predict that asexuals can out-compete sexuals in most environments because these organisms do not need to produce both male and female offspring and do not break up favorable allelic combinations. Nevertheless, sexual reproduction persists and asexual lineages often die out over time. This suggests that there may be a penalty to asexual reproduction. My involvement in the RCN allows me to further my research into the genetic basis for asexual reproduction, and its evolution in the obligately asexual P. umbilicalis population in Maine, USA within the context of the genetic diversity demonstrated in this population.

The Porphyra RCN supports establishment of the strong research network and bioinformatics’ resources needed to analyze the Porphyra umbilicalis genome. Analyses of the Porphyra genome will include comparative studies using genomes of sister and derived groups of algae (e.g., other red algae, green algae, haptophytes, dinoflagellates). Such studies will improve our understanding of cellular evolution (e.g., endosymbiosis and endosymbiotic gene transfer). This research goal is aided by the breadth of scientific expertise within the RCN. Learn more about the Porphyra RCNhere.

• Blouin, N., Lane CE (2015). Red algae provide fertile ground for exploring parasite evolution. Perspectives in Phycology doi:10.1127/pip/2015/0027.
• Misner, I., N. Blouin, G. Leonard, T. Richards, & C. E. Lane (2015). The secreted proteins of Achlya hypogyna and Thraustotheca clavata identify the ancestral oomycete secretome and reveal gene acquisitions by horizontal gene transfer. Genome Biology and Evolution. 7:120-135.
• Pombert JF, Blouin NA, Lane C,Boucias D, PJ Keeling. 2014. A Lack of Parasitic Reduction in the Obligate Parasitic Green Alga Helicosporidium – PLOS Genetics DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.100435
• Blouin N., Brawley S.H. 2012. An AFLP-based test of clonality in widespread, putatively asexual populations of Porphyra umbilicalis (Rhodophyta) in the Northwest Atlantic with an in silico analysis for bacterial contamination. Marine Biology DOI: 10.1007/s00227-012-2029-z (pdf).
• Chan C.X., Blouin N.A., Zhuang Y., Zäuner S., Prochnik S.E., Lindquist E., S Lin S., Benning C.,
• Lohr M., Yarish C., Gantt E., Arthur R. Grossman A.R., Lu S., Müller K., Stiller J., Brawley S.H.,
• Bhattacharya D. Functional analysis of two Porphyra transcriptomes provides novel insights into lipid
• metabolism and multicellularity in red algae. Journal of Phycology 38:1328-1342 (pdf).
• Stiller JW, Perry J, Rymarquis L.A., Green PJ, Prochnik S, Lindquist E, Chan CX, Yarish C, Lin
• S, Zhuang Y, Blouin N, Brawley SH. Major developmental regulators and their expression in two
• closely related species of Porphyra (Rhodophyta). Journal of Phycology 47. DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2012.01138.x (pdf).
• Blouin N., Lane C.E. 2012. Red algal parasites: Models for a life history evolution that leaves photosynthesis behind again and again. BioEssays 34(3) (pdf).
• Price DC, Chan CX, Yoon HS, Yang EC, Qiu H, Weber APM, Schwacke R, Gross J, Blouin N, Lane CE, Reyes-Prieto A, Durnford D, Neilson JAD, Lang BF, Burger G, Steiner JMB., Löffelhardt W, Meuser JE, Posewitz MC, Ball S, Arias MC, Henrissat B, Coutinho PM, Rensing SA, Symeonidi A, Doddapaneni H., Green BR, Rajah VD, Boore J, Bhattacharya D. 2012. Cyanophora paradoxa genome elucidates origin of photosynthesis in algae and plants. Science 335: 843-847 (pdf).
• Chan CX, Zäuner S, Wheeler G, Grossman AR, Prochnik SE, Blouin N, Zuang Y, Benning C, Berg M, Yarish C, Eriksen R, Klein A, Lin, S, Levine I, Brawley SH, Bhattacharya D. Analysis of Porphyra membrane transporters demonstrates gene transfer among photosynthetic eukaryotes and numerous sodium-coupled transport systems. Plant Physiology February Apr;158: 2001-12 (pdf).
• Blouin N, Brodie J, Grossman, AC, Xu P, Brawley SH. 2011. Porphyra: The organism and the 
• crop. Trends in Plant Science 16:29-37 (pdf).
• Vadas RL, Beal B, Blouin N, Brawley SH, Wright W. 2010. Rockweed harvesting: a recipe for 
• sustainability. Bangor Daily News. (weblink)
• Gantt E, Berg GM, Bhattacharya D, Blouin N, Brodie J, Chan CX, Collen J, Cunningham, FX, Gross J, Grossman AR, Karpowicz S, Kitade Y, Klein AS, Levine IA, Lin S, Lu S, Lynch M, Minchoa SC, Muller K, Neefus CD, deOliviera MC, Rymarquis L, Smith A, Stiller JW, Wu, W-K, Yarish C, Zhuang, Y.Y., Brawley, S.H. 2010. Porphyra: Complex life histories in a harsh environment. P. umbilicalis, an intertidal red alga for genomic analysis In: J. Seckbach and D. Chapman (eds.) Red Algae in the Genomic Age. (vol. 13 of Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology) Springer, p131-1348.(pdf)
• Blouin N., Brawley SH. 2009. Culture techniques & reproduction in Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing (P.um1, JGI sequencing project): Insights from amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs).Phycologia 48(4s), 9.
• Blouin N., Fei XG, Peng J, Yarish C, Brawley SH. 2007. Seeding nets with neutral spores of the red alga Porphyra umbilicalis (L.) Kützing for use in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). Aquaculture270: 77-91. (pdf)
• Blouin N, Grossman AR, Brawley SH. 2007. The use of cDNA libraries to investigate asexual reproduction in Porphyra umbilicalis (L.) Kützing. Journal of Phycology 43(s):140.
• Blouin N, Calder B, Perkins L, Brawley SH. 2006. Sensory and fatty acid analysis of two Atlantic species ofPorphyra. Journal of Applied Phycology 18: 79-85. (pdf)