Life cycle and functional genomics of the unicellular red alga Galdieria for elucidating algal and plant evolution and industrial use
Abstract
Sexual reproduction has not been observed in unicellular red algae and Glaucophyceae, early branching groups in Archaeplastida, in which red algae and Viridiplantae independently evolved multicellular sexual life cycles. The finding of sexual reproduction in the unicellular red alga Galdieria provides information on the missing link of life cycle evolution in Archaeplastida. In addition, the metabolic plasticity, the polyextremophilic features, a relatively small genome, transcriptome data for the diploid and haploid, and the genetic modification tools developed here provide a useful platform for understanding the evolution of Archaeplastida, photosynthesis, metabolism, and environmental adaptation. For biotechnological use of the information and tools of Galdieria, the newly found cell wall-less haploid makes cell disruption less energy/cost intensive than the cell-walled diploid.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- October 2022
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.2210665119
- Bibcode:
- 2022PNAS..11910665H