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Evolutionary genomics

Algae's complex origins

Nature volume 492, pages 46–48 (2012)Cite this article

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The nuclear genomes of two of nature's most complex cells have been sequenced. The data will help to determine the evolutionary path from symbioses between species to a multi-compartmental unicellular organism. See Article p.59

The orchestration of cellular function from genetic information is a marvel, even in a typical cell that has a single genome. But a few unusual members of a group of microorganisms called protists pack four genomes, each of unique origin, into a single cell. In this issue, Curtis et al.1 report the nuclear-genome sequences for two of these organisms: the unicellular algae Guillardia theta and Bigelowiella natans. These species are each the derivatives of symbiotic relationships between multiple cells, and their endowment of genetic and cellular relicts from these symbioses makes them the most complex cells known. The genome sequences are the final pieces in a long-standing puzzle, and they will enrich our understanding of how this arrangement evolved and how the cells manage their intricate biochemistryFootnote 1.

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Figure 1: The rise of photosynthetic eukaryotes.

Notes

  1. *This article and the paper under discussion1 were published online on 28 November 2012.

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  1. Sven B. Gould is at the Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,

    Sven B. Gould

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  1. Sven B. Gould
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Correspondence to Sven B. Gould.

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Gould, S. Algae's complex origins. Nature 492, 46–48 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11759

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