David
Morse

Chronobiology and molecular biology

Full professor
Department of biological sciences - University of Montreal
david.morse@umontreal.ca
514-343-2133

RESEARCH TOPICS


Our laboratory works with the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra, a unicellular marine protist. A circadian (daily) clock in this organism regulates its biochemistry, allowing it to specialize for photosynthesis during the day and bioluminescence at night. We want to understand the biochemical events that underlie these changes and to elucidate the regulatory events that control them. We are also interested in understanding the complex interplay between the circadian and cell cycle clocks.

Keywords: Biochemistry and molecular biology of Dinoflagellates • Chronobiology



STUDENTS AND STAFF


Ph.D. students
Vicente Eduardo Chacon-Chade

M.Sc. students
Samuel Chevrier



TEACHING


BIO-1153: Biologie cellulaire
BIO-2162: Compléments de biologie cellulaire
BIO-3900: Chronobiologie
BIO-6028: Séminaires en biologie végétale
BIO-6157: Biochimie et bio moléculaire des plantes



  • Lin, S., Song, B., and Morse, D. (2021) Spatial organization of dinoflagellate genomes : novel insights and remaining questions. J Phycol DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13206
  • Zaheri, B. and Morse, D. (2021) Assessing nucleic acid binding activity of four dinoflagellate cold shock domain proteins from Symbiodinium kawagutii and Lingulodinium polyedra. BMC Mol. Cell Biol.
  • Gallo, M., Morse, D., Hollnagel, H.C. and Barros, M.P. (2020) Oxidative stress and toxicology of Cu2+ based on surface areas in mixed cultures of green alga and cyanobacteria: the pivotal role of H2O2. Aquatic Toxicology 222: 105450
  • Bowazolo, C, Tse, SPK, Beauchemin, M, Lo, S-CL, Rivoal, J, and Morse, D (2020) Label-free MS/MS analyses of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium over a diurnal cycle show rhythms of proteins involved in bioluminescence, respiration and DNA replication. Science of the Total Environment 704:135430
  • Zaheri, B, Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S, Song, B and Morse, D. (2019) Assessing transcriptional responses to light in Symbiodinium kawagutii Microorganisms 14: E261
  • Morse, D. (2019) A transcriptome-based perspective of meiosis in dinoflagellates. Protist 170:397-403
  • Song, Y., Zaheri, B., Liu, M., Sahu, S.K., Liu, H., Chen, W., Song, B., Morse, D. (2019) Fugacium spliced leader genes identified from stranded RNA-seq datasets. Microorganisms 7 E171
  • Lee, S-J, Morse, D and Hijri, M. (2019) Mycorrhizal symbiosis can be an agriculturally important model to understand the chronobiology of plant holobionts. Mycorrhiza doi: 10.1007/s00572-019-00903-4
  • Lee, S-J, Kong, M, Morse, D and Hijri, M (2018) Expression of putative circadian clock components in the arbuscular micorrhizal fungus Rhizoglomus irregulare. Mycorrhiza doi 10.1007/s00572-018-0843-y
  • Roy, S, Jagus, R and Morse, D (2018) Translation and translational control in dinoflagellates. Microorganisms 6: 30
  • Morse, D, Tse, SPK and Lo SCL (2018) Exploring dinoflagellate biology with high-throughput proteomics. Harmful Algae 75: 16-26
  • Beauchemin, M and Morse, D (2018) A proteomic portrait of dinoflagellate chromatin reveals abundant RNA binding proteins. Chromosoma 127: 29-43
  • Tse, SPK, Beauchemin, M, Morse D and Lo SCL (2017) Refining transcriptome gene catalogs by MS-validation of expressed proteins Proteomics DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700271
  • Song, B., Morse, D., Song, Y., Fu, Y., Lin, X., Wang, W., Cheng, S., Chen, W., Liu, X. and Lin S. (2017) Two major bouts of gene retroposition coincide with crucial periods of Symbiodinium evolution. Genome Biology Evolution 9 2037- 2047
  • Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Beauchemin, M. and Morse, D (2017) miRNAs do not regulate circadian protein synthesis in the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum. PLoS One 12: e0168817
  • Morse, D, Daoust, P and Benribague, S (2016) A transcriptomic perspective of cell cycle regulation in dinoflagellates. Protist 167: 610-621
  • Morse, D, Webster, W, Kalanon, M, Langsley, G and McFadden, GI (2016) Plasmodium falciparum Rab1A traffics vesicular cargo to rhoptries in schizonts PloS One 11: e0158174
  • Beauchemin, M., S. Roy, S. Pelletier, A. Averback, F. Lanthier et D. Morse. 2016. Characterization of two dinoflagellate cold shock domain proteins. Msphere, 1 (1): 11 pages (e00034-15).
  • Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S. et D. Morse. 2016. The main nitrate transporter of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum is constitutively expressed and not responsible for daily variations in nitrate uptake rates. Harmful Algae, 55: 272-281.
  • Lin, S., S. Cheng, B. Song, X. Zhong, X. Lin, W. Li, L. Li, Y. Zhang, Z. Ji, M. Cai, Y. Zhuang, X. Shi, L. Li, L. Wang, Z. Wang, X. Liu, S. Yu, P. Zeng, H. Hao, Q. Zou, C. Chen, Y. Li, Y. Wang, C. Xu, S. Meng, X. Xu, J. Wang, H. Yang, D.A. Campbell, N.R. Sturm, S. Dagenais-Bellefeuille et D. Morse. 2015. The Symbiodinium kawagutii genome illuminates dinoflagellate gene expression and coral symbiosis. Science, 350 (6261): 691-694.
  • Beauchemin, M. et D. Morse. 2015. δ-Carbonic Anhydrases: Structure, Distribution, and Potentiel Roles. In Supuran, C. et G. De Simone (édit.), Carbonic Anhydrases as Biocatalysts. Elsevier, 1re édition, chapitre 9: 337-349.
  • Roy, S., L. Létourneau and D. Morse. 2014. Cold-induced cysts of the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum have an arrested circadian bioluminescence rhythm and lower levels of protein phosphorylation. Plant Physiol. 164: 966-977.
  • Soulard, J., N. Boivin, D. Morse and M. Cappadocia. 2014. eEF1A Is an S-RNase binding factor in self-incompatible Solanum chacoense. PLoS One 9(2): e90206 (7 p.).
  • Roy, S., Beauchemin, M., Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Benribague, S., Letourneau, L., and Morse, D. (2014) The Lingulodinium circadian system lacks rhythmic changes in transcript abundance. BMC Biology 12:107
  • Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Dorion, S., Jean Rivoal, J. and Morse, D. (2014) The dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum responds to N depletion by cell cycle arrest and a polarized deposition of starch and lipid bodies. PLoS One 9(11):e111067
  • Boivin, N., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2014) Degradation of S-RNase in compatible pollen tubes of Solanum chacoense inferred by immunogold labeling. J. Cell Science 127: 4123-4127
  • Roy, S, and Morse, D. (2014) Predicted Casein Kinase 2 sites in RNA binding proteins of Lingulodinium show daily variations in phosphorylation state. Protist 165: 330-342
  • Soulard, J., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2014) EF-1a provides a physical link between S-RNases and actin in the self-incompatible response to pollination by Solanum chacoense PLoS One 9: e90206
  • Roy, S. and Morse, D (2014) Molecular correlates of temporary cyst formation in Lingulodinium. Plant Physiology 164: 966-977
  • Roy, S. and Morse, D (2013) Regulation of transcription in dinoflagellates. Microrganisms 1: 71-99
  • Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S. and Morse, D. (2013) Putting the N in dinoflagellates. Frontiers in Aquatic Microbiology 4: 369
  • Barros, M.P., Hollnagel, H.C., Glavina, A.B., Soares, C.O., Ganini, D., Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Morse, D., and Colepicolo, P. (2013) Molybdate:sulfate ratio affects redox metabolism and viability of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum. Aquatic Toxicology 142: 195-202
  • Soulard, J., Qin, X., Boivin, N., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2013) A new dual-specific incomepatibility allele revealed by absence of glycosylation in the conserved C2 site of a Solanum chacoense S-RNase. J. Exp. Bot 64: 1995-2003
  • Beauchemin, M., Roy, S., Daoust, P., Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Bertomeu, T., Letourneau, L., Lang, B.F. and Morse, D. (2012) Transcripts from dinoflagellate tandem array genes are highly conserved and are not polycistronic. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109: 15793-15798
  • Liu, B., Boivin, N., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2012) A time course of self incompatibility in Solanum chacoense as visualized by GFP pollen. Sexual Plant Reproduction 25: 205-213
  • Liu, B., Lo, S.C.-L., Matton, D.P., Lang, B.F. and Morse, D. (2012) Daily changes in the phosphoproteome of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium. Protist 163: 746-754
  • Roy, S, and Morse, D. (2012) A suite of histone and histone modifying genes are expressed in the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium. PloS One 7(4): e34340
  • MacKenzie, T. and Morse, D. (2011) Circadian photosynthetic reductant flow in the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium is limited by carbon availability. Plant Cell Environment 34, 669-680
  • Liu, B., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2009) Compatible pollinations in Solanum chacoense decrease both S-RNase and S-RNase mRNA. PLoS One 4:e5774
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  • Dagenais-Bellefeuille, S., Bertomeu, T. and Morse, D. (2008) Entry into both S-phase and M-phase is under circadian control in the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium. J.Biol. Rhythms 23, 400-408
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  • Lapointe, M. MacKenzie, T. and Morse, D. (2008) An external δ-Carbonic Anhydrase may circumvent diffusion limited carbon acquisition in a free-living marine dinoflagellate. Plant Physiology 147, 1427-1436
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  • Liu, B., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2008) Glycosylation of S-RNases may influence pollen rejection thresholds in Solanum chacoense J. Experimental Botany 59, 545-552
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  • Morse, D. and Jutras, F. (2008) Implementing concept based learning in a large undergraduate classroom. Cell Biology Education 7, 243-253
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  • Wang, Y., Joly, S., and Morse, D. (2008) Phylogeny of dinoflagellate plastid genes recently transferred to the nucleus supports a common ancestry with stramenopile plastid genes. J. Molecular Evolution 66, 175-184
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  • Lapointe, M. and Morse, D. (2008) Reassessing the role of a 3’UTR-binding translational inhibitor in regulation of the circadian bioluminescence rhythm in the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax. Biological Chemistry 389, 13-19
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  • Morse, D. (2007) Imaging protein-protein interactions in plants and single cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 9917-991
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  • Bertomeu, T. Rivoal, J. and Morse, D. (2007) A dinoflagellate CDK5-like cyclin-dependent kinase. Biology of the Cell 99, 531-540
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  • Bertomeu, T. and Morse, D (2007) A dinoflagellate AAA+ family member rescues a conditional yeast G1/S phase cyclin mutant through increased CLB5 accumulation Protist 158, 473-485
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  • Ratti, S., Morse, D. and Giordano, M (2007) CO2 concentrating mechanisms of the potentially toxic dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum (Dynophyceae, Gonyaulacales). J. Phycol 43, 693-701
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  • Wang, Y. and Morse, D. (2006) The psbA gene is not encoded by a minicircle in the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax. Gene 371, 206-210
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  • Claeyssen, E., Wally, O., Matton, D.P., Morse, D. and Rivoal, J. (2006) Cloning, expression and properties of a putative plasma membrane hexokinase from Solanum chacoense. Protein Expression and Purification 47, 329-339
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  • Qin, X., Liu, B., Soulard, J., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2006) Style-by-style analyses of two sporadic self-compatible Solanum chacoense lines supports a primary role for S-RNases in determining pollen rejection thresholds. J. Experimental Botany 57, 2001-2013
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  • Wang, Y. and Morse, D. (2006) Rampant polyuridylylation of plastid gene transcripts in the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium. Nucleic Acids Research 34, 613-619
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  • Wang, Y., MacKenzie, T. and Morse, D. (2005) Purification of plastids from the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium. Marine Biotechnology 7, 659-668
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  • Nassoury, N. Wang, Y. and Morse, D. (2005) Brefeldin A inhibits circadian remodeling of chloroplast structure in the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax. Traffic 6, 548-561
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  • Qin, X., Soulard, J. Laublin, G. Morse, D. and Mario Cappadocia. M. (2005) Molecular analysis of the conserved C4 region of the S11-RNase of Solanum chacoense. Planta 221, 531-537
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  • Nassoury, N. and Morse, D. (2005) Protein targeting to the chloroplasts of photosynthetic eukaryotes: getting there is half the fun. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1743, 5-19
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  • Wang. Y., Jensen, L., Hojrup, P. and Morse, D. (2005) Synthesis and degradation of dinoflagellate plastid-encoded psbA proteins are light-regulated, not circadian regulated. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102, 2844-2849
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  • Nassoury, N., Hastings, J.W. and Morse, D. (2005) The many hands of the Gonyaulax clock. In « The Circadian Clock in Eukaryotic Microbes », Ed. F. Kippert, Landes Bioscience
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  • Nassoury, N., Morse, D. and Hastings, J.W. (2005) Physiological aspects of the Gonyaulax rhythms. In « The Circadian Clock in Eukaryotic Microbes », Ed. F. Kippert, Landes Bioscience
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  • Bertomeu, T. and Morse, D. (2004) Isolation of a dinoflagellate cyclin by functional complementation in yeast. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 323: 1172-1183
  • Cermakian, N., Pando, M.P., Doi, M., Cardone, L., Yujnovsky, I., Morse, D., Sassone-Corsi, P. (2003) On the communication pathways between the central pacemaker and peripheral oscillators. Novartis Found. Symp. 253: 126-139
  • Bertomeu, T, Hastings, J.W. And Morse, D (2003) Vectorial labeling of dinoflagellate cell surface proteins. J. Phycol. 39 1254-1260
  • Pinto, E, Sigaud-Kutner, TCS, Leitão, MAS, Okamoto OK, Morse, D and Colepicolo, P. (2003) Heavy metal induced-oxidative stress in algae. J. Phycology 39, 1008-1018
  • Nassoury, N., Cappadocia, M. and Morse, D. (2003) Plastid ultrastructure defines the protein input pathway in dinoflagellates. J. Cell Science 116, 2867-2874
  • Morse, D., Cermakian, N., Brancorsini, S., Parvinen, M. and Sassone-Corsi, P. (2003) No circadian rhythms in testis: Period1 expression is Clock-independent and developmentally regulated in the mouse. Mol. Endocrinology 17, 141-151
  • Morse, D and Sassone-Corsi, P (2002) Time and time again- inputs and outputs to and from circadian oscillators. Trends in Neuroscience 25, 632-637
  • Pando, M.P., Morse, D., Cermakian, N. and Sassone-Corsi, P. (2002) Phenotypic Rescue of a Peripheral Clock Genetic Defect via SCN Hierarchical Dominance. Cell 110, 107-117
  • Hollnagel, H.C., Morse,D., and Colepicolo, P. (2002) The oscillation of photosynthetic capacity in Gonyaulax polyedra is not related to differences in Rubisco, peridinin or chlorophyll a amounts. Biol. Rhythms Res. 33, 443-458
  • Chaput, H., Wang, Y. and Morse, D. (2002) Dinoflagellate mitochondrial transcripts are polyadenylated at random sites and contain numerous gene fragments. Protist 153, 111-122
  • Nassoury, N., Fritz, L. and Morse, D. (2001) Changes in RuBisCo distribution inside individual chloroplasts can account for the circadian rhythm in carbon fixation. Plant Cell 13, 923-934
  • Le,Q.H., Jovine, R. Markovic, P. and Morse, D. (2001) Peridinin-Chlorophyll a-Protein is not implicated in the photosynthesis rhythm of the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax despite circadian regulation of its translation. Biol. Rhythm Res. 32: 579-594
  • Luu, D.T., Qin, X., Laublin, G., Yang, Q., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2001) Rejection of S-heteroallelic pollen by a dual specific S-RNase predicts a multimeric SI pollen component. Genetics 159: 329-335
  • Qin, X., Luu, D.-T., Yang, Q., Maës, O., Matton, D.P., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2001) Genotype-dependent differences in S12-RNase expression lead to sporadic self-compatibility in Solanum chacoense . Plant Mol. Biol. 45, 295-305
  • Luu, D.T., Qin, X., Morse, D. and Cappadocia, M. (2000) S-RNase uptake by compatible pollen tubes in gametophytic self-incompatibility. Nature 407, 649-651
  • Averback, P., Fitzpatrick, J., Iversen, L., Kaufmann, D. and Morse, D. (2000) Spherons and Alzheimer’s disease: New Biochemical, Immunological and Cell Biological evidence linking Spherons to senile Amyloid plaques. Alzheimer’s reports 3, 177-184
  • Morse, D. and Mittag, M. (2000). Dinoflagellate luciferin binding protein. Meth. Enzymol. (M. Zeigler and T. Baldwin Eds) 305, 258-273.