Identification of a deep-branching lineage of algae using environmental plastid genomes.

ABSTRACT: Marine algae underpin entire ocean ecosystems. Yet algae in culture poorly represent their large environmental diversity, and we have a limited understanding of their convoluted evolution by endosymbiosis. Here, we perform a phylogeny-guided plastid genome-resolved metagenomic survey of Tara Oceans expeditions. We present a curated resource of 660 new non-redundant plastid genomes of environmental marine algae, vastly expanding plastid genome diversity within major algal groups, including many without closely related reference genomes. Notably, we recover four plastid genomes, including one near-complete, forming a deep-branching plastid lineage of nano-size algae that we informally name leptophytes. This group is globally distributed and generally rare, although it can reach relatively hi

SUBMITTER: Jamy M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816646 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature