Switching it up: algal insights into sexual transitions
Open Access
- 28 June 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Plant Reproduction
- Vol. 34 (4), 287-296
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-021-00417-0
Abstract
While the process of meiosis is highly conserved across eukaryotes, the sexual systems that govern life cycle phase transitions are surprisingly labile. Switches between sexual systems have profound evolutionary and ecological consequences, in particular for plants, but our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and ultimate causes underlying these transitions is still surprisingly incomplete. We explore here the idea that brown and green algae may be interesting comparative models that can increase our understanding of relevant processes in plant reproductive biology, from evolution of gamete dimorphism, gametogenesis, sex determination and transitions in sex-determining systems.Keywords
Funding Information
- H2020 European Research Council (864038)
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
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