An Insight into the Algal Evolution and Genomics

Abstract

With the increase in biotechnological, environmental, and nutraceutical importance of algae, about 100 whole genomic sequences of algae have been published, and this figure is expected to double in the coming years. The phenotypic and ecological diversity among algae hints at the range of functional capabilities encoded by algal genomes. In order to explore the biodiversity of algae and fully exploit their commercial potential, understanding their evolutionary, structural, functional, and developmental aspects at genomic level is a pre-requisite. So forth, the algal genomic analysis revealed us that algae evolved through endosymbiotic gene transfer, giving rise to around eight phyla. Amongst the diverse algal species, the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has attained the status of model organism as it is an ideal organism to elucidate the biological processes critical to plants and animals, as well as commercialized to produce range of bio-products. For this review, an overview of evolutionary process of algae through endosymbiosis in the light of genomics, as well as the phylogenomic, studies supporting the evolutionary process of algae was reviewed. Algal genomics not only helped us to understand the evolutionary history of algae but also may have an impact on our future by helping to create algae-based products and future biotechnological approaches.

Chemistry of Tropical Eucheumatoids: Potential for Food and Feed Applications

“…Seaweeds are acquiring considerable importance in the biotechnological, environmental and nutraceutical fields. The wide phenotypic and ecological diversity among seaweeds suggests that they possess a wide range of functional capabilities encoded in their genomes [35]. Moreover, it is well known that their global demand as a food source is growing.…”

Cloning and expression of an anti-cancerous cytokine: human IL-29 gene in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

“…A unicellular, biflagellate green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii found in freshwater almost worldwide (Khan et al 2020 ). The C. reinhardtii system is being used as a model organism because of its various significant attributes; (1) Short reproduction, cultivation and harvesting time and scale-up production period of recombinant proteins is short as compared to transgenic plants and animals (Mayfield et al 2007 ), (2) Post-translational modifications, (3) Ease of transformation (mitochondrial, nuclear and chloroplast), (4) It can grow under both phototrophic and heterotrophic habitat in outdoors and bioreactors respectively, (5) For the genetic modifications of the cell, a vast range of promoters and markers are accessible and (as GRAS by FDA so that it can be administered orally (in case of vaccines) or as an enriched feed (Purton et al 2013 ; Shamriz and Ofoghi 2016 ).…”

Walnut N-Acetylserotonin Methyltransferase Gene Family Genome-Wide Identification and Diverse Functions Characterization During Flower Bud Development

“…ASMT genes were found in both cyanobacteria and green algae at early evolutionary stages, with the difference that only one single-copy ASMT gene was found in cyanobacteria, whereas this number was apparently increased in green algae. Considering the more complex life system and significantly greater photosynthetic capacity of green algae (Khan et al, 2020), we infer that the ASMT gene family had already expanded before plants began terrestrialization to better regulate melatonin biosynthesis and better accommodate new environmental and biological functional requirements.…”