Abstract
Chlorarachniophyte algae contain a complex, multi-membraned chloroplast derived from the endosymbiosis of a eukaryotic alga. Phylogenetic trees indicate that the host is closely related to filose amoebae and sarcomonads whereas the endosymbiont is most closely related to green algae. The endosymbiont is greatly reduced retaining only the plastid, plasmamembrane, a modicum of cytoplasm, and the nucleus. The vestigial nucleus of the endosymbiont, called the nucleomorph, contains three small linear chromosomes with a haploid genome size of 380 kb and is the smallest known eukaryotic genome. The overall gene organisation of the nucleomorph genome is extraordinarily compact making this a unique model for eukaryotic genomics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beutlich, A., Schnetter, R., 1993: The life cycle of Cryptochlora perforans (chlorarachniophyceae). — Bot. Acta 106: 441–447.
Bhattacharya, D., Medlin, L., 1995: The phylogeny of plastids: a review based on comparison of small-subunit ribosomal RNA coding regions — J. Phycol. 31: 489–498.
— Helmchen, T., Melkonian, M., 1995a: Molecular evolutionary analysis of nuclearencoded small subunit ribosomal RNA identify an independent rhizopod lineage containing the Euglyphidae and the chlorarachniophyta. — J. Euk. Microbiol. 42: 65–69.
— — Bibeau, C., Melkonian, M., 1995b: Comparisons of nuclear-encoded small-subunit ribosomal RNAs reveal the evolutionary position of the Glaucocystophyta. — Molec. Biol. Evol. 12: 415–420.
Biessmann, H., Mason, J., 1994: Telomeric repeat sequences. — Chromosoma 103: 154–161.
Calderon-Saenz, E., Schnetter, R., 1987: Cryptochlora perforons, a new genus and species of algae (chlorarachniophytd), capable of penetrating dead algal filaments. — Pl. Syst. Evol. 158: 69–71.
— — 1989: Morphology, biology, and systematics of Cryptochlora perforons (chlorarachniophyta), a phagotrophic marine alga. — Pl. Syst. Evol. 163: 165–176.
Cavalier-Smith, T., 1993: Kingdom Protozoa and its 18 phyla. — Microbiol. Rev. 57: 953–994.
— 1995a: Membrane heredity, symbiogenesis, and the multiple origins of algae. — In Arai, R., Kato, M., Doi, Y., (Eds): Biodiversity and evolution, pp. 75–114. — Tokyo: National Science Museum.
— 1995b: Zooflagellate phylogeny and classification — Cytology 37: 1010–1029.
— Allsopp, M., Chao, E., 1994: Chimeric conundra: are nucleomorphs and chromists monophyletic or polyphyletic? — Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 11368–11372.
— Couch, J., Thorsteinsen, K., Gilson, P., Deane, J., Hill, D., McFadden, G., 1996: Cryptomonad nuclear and nucleomorph 18S rRNA phylogeny. — Eur. J. Phycol. 31: 315–328.
Geitler, L., 1930: Ein grünes Filarplasmodium und andere neue Protisten. — Arch. Protistenk. 69: 615–635.
Gilson, P., McFadden, G., 1995: The chlorarachniophyte: a cell with two different nuclei and two different telomeres. — Chromosoma 103: 635–641.
— — 1996: The miniaturised nuclear genome of a eukaryotic endosymbiont contains genes that overlap, genes that are contranscribed, and smallest known spliceosomal introns. — Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 93: 7737–7742.
— Waller, R., McFadden, G., 1995: Preliminary characterization of chlorarachniophyte mitochondrial DNA — J. Euk. Microbiol. 42: 696–701.
Grell, K., 1990: Indications of sexual reproduction in the plasmodial protist Chlorarachnion reptans Geitler. — Z. Naturforsch. 45c: 112–114.
Hara, Y., Erata, M., Ishida, K.-I., 1992: Nucleomorphs — new plant cell images of an evolutionary chimaera. — Pl. Cell Technol. 4: 373–382.
Hatakeyama, N., Sasa, T., Watanabe, M., Takaichi, S., 1991: Structure and pigment composition of Chlorarachnion sp. — J. Phycol. [Suppl.] 27: 29–A154.
Hibberd, D., 1990: Phylum Chlorarachnida. — In Margulis, L., Corliss, J., Melkonian, M., Chapman, D., (Eds): Handbook of Protoctista, pp. 288–292. — Boston: Jones & Bartlett.
— Norris, R., 1984: Cytology and ultrastructure of Clorarachnion reptans (Chlorarachniophyta Divisionova, Chlorarachniophyceae Classis Nova) — J. Phycol. 20: 310–330.
Higashiyama, T., Maki, S., Yamada, T., 1995: Molecular organization of Chlorella vulgaris chromosome I. — Presence of telomeric repeats that are conserved in higher plants. — Molec. Gen. Genet. 246: 29–36.
Ishida, K.-I., 1994: Chlorarachniophyceae. — In Hori, T., (Ed.): An illustrated atlas of the life history of algae. 3. Unicellular and flagellated algae, pp. 203–213. — Tokyo: Uchida Rokakuho.
— Hara, Y., 1994: Taxonomic studies on the Chlorarachniophyta. I. Chlorarachnion globosum sp. nov. — Phycologia 33: 351–358.
Kies, L., 1974: Electron microscopical investigations on Paulinella chromatophora Lauterborn, a thecamoeba containing blue-green endosymbioints (cyanelles). — Protoplasma 80: 69–89.
Lockhart, P., Steel, M., Hendy, M., Penny, D., 1994: Recovering evolutionary trees under a more realistic model of sequence evolution. — Molec. Biol. Evol. 11: 605–612.
Ludwig, M., Gibbs, S., 1987: Are the nucleomorphs of cryptomonads and Chlorarachnion the vestigial nuclei of eukaryotic endosymbionts? — Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 503: 198–211.
— — 1989: Evidence that nucleomorphs of Chlorarachnion reptans (Chlorarachniophyceae) are vestigial nuclei: morphology, division and DNA-DAPI fluorescence. — J. Phycol. 25: 385–394.
McFadden, G., 1992: Evolution of algal plastids from eukaryotic endosymbionts. — In Harris, N., Williams, D., (Eds): In situ hybridization: application to developmental biology and medicine., pp. 143–156. — Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
— Gilson, P., 1995: Something borrowed, something green: lateral transfer of chloroplasts by secondary endosymbiosis. — Trends Ecol. Evol. 10: 12–17.
— — 1996: What’s eating Eu? The role of eukaryote/ eukaryote endosymbioses in plastid origins. — Endocyt. Cell Res. (in press).
— Hofmann, C., Adcock, G., Maier, U.-G., 1994: Evidence that an amoeba acquired a chloroplast by retaining part of an engulfed eukaryotic alga. — Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 3690–3694.
— — Waller, R., 1995: Molecular phylogeny of chlorarachniophytes based on plastid rRNA and rbcL sequences. — Arch. Protistenk. 145: 231–239.
Norris, R., 1967: Micro-algae in enrichment cultures from Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico. — Bull. South. Cal. Acad. Sci. 66: 233–250.
Palmer, J., Delwiche, C., 1996: Second-hand chloroplasts and the case of the disappearing nucleus. — Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93: 7432–7435.
Sasa, T., Takaichi, S., Hatakeyama, M., Watanabe, M., 1992: A novel carotenoid ester, loroxanthin dodecanoate, from Pyramimonas parkeae (Prasinophyceae) and a chlorarachniophycean alga. — Pl. Cell Physiol. 33: 921–925.
Shippen, D., 1993: Telomeres and telomerases. — Curr. Opin. Genet. Devel. 3: 759–763.
Van De Peer, Y., Rensing, S., Maier, U.-G., De Wachter, R., 1996: Substitution rate calibration of small subunit rRNA identifies chlorarachniophyte endosymbionts as remnants of green algae. — Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 93: 7732–7736.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Wien
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McFadden, G.I., Gilson, P.R., Hofmann, C.J.B. (1997). Division Chlorarachniophyta . In: Bhattacharya, D. (eds) Origins of Algae and their Plastids. Plant Systematics and Evolution, vol 11. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6542-3_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6542-3_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83035-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6542-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive