TY - JOUR
T1 - Green Algal Models for Multicellularity
AU - Umen, James
AU - Herron, Matthew D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Annual Reviews Inc.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The repeated evolution of multicellularity across the tree of life has profoundly affected the ecology and evolution of nearly all life on Earth. Many of these origins were in different groups of photosynthetic eukaryotes, or algae. Here, we review the evolution and genetics of multicellularity in several groups of green algae, which include the closest relatives of land plants. These include millimeter-scale, motile spheroids of up to 50,000 cells in the volvocine algae; decimeter-scale seaweeds in the genus Ulva (sea lettuce); and very plantlike, meter-scale freshwater algae in the genus Chara (stoneworts). We also describe algae in the genus Caulerpa, which are giant, multinucleate, morphologically complex single cells. In each case, we review the life cycle, phylogeny, and genetics of traits relevant to the evolution of multicellularity, and genetic and genomic resources available for the group in question. Finally, we suggest routes toward developing these groups as model organisms for the evolution of multicellularity.
AB - The repeated evolution of multicellularity across the tree of life has profoundly affected the ecology and evolution of nearly all life on Earth. Many of these origins were in different groups of photosynthetic eukaryotes, or algae. Here, we review the evolution and genetics of multicellularity in several groups of green algae, which include the closest relatives of land plants. These include millimeter-scale, motile spheroids of up to 50,000 cells in the volvocine algae; decimeter-scale seaweeds in the genus Ulva (sea lettuce); and very plantlike, meter-scale freshwater algae in the genus Chara (stoneworts). We also describe algae in the genus Caulerpa, which are giant, multinucleate, morphologically complex single cells. In each case, we review the life cycle, phylogeny, and genetics of traits relevant to the evolution of multicellularity, and genetic and genomic resources available for the group in question. Finally, we suggest routes toward developing these groups as model organisms for the evolution of multicellularity.
KW - Caulerpa
KW - Chara
KW - Ulva
KW - Volvox
KW - cellular differentiation
KW - evolution
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120360550&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1146/annurev-genet-032321-091533
DO - 10.1146/annurev-genet-032321-091533
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34546795
AN - SCOPUS:85120360550
SN - 0066-4197
VL - 55
SP - 603
EP - 632
JO - Annual Review of Genetics
JF - Annual Review of Genetics
ER -