New "missing link" genus of the colonial volvocine green algae gives insights into the evolution of oogamy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The evolution of oogamy from isogamy, an important biological event, can be summarized as follows: morphologically similar gametes (isogametes) differentiated into small "male" and large "female" motile gametes during anisogamy, from which immotile female gametes (eggs) evolved. The volvocine green algae represent a model lineage to study this type of sex evolution and show two types of gametic unions: conjugation between isogametes outside the parental colonies (external fertilization during isogamy) and fertilization between small motile gametes (sperm) and large gametes (eggs) inside the female colony (internal fertilization during anisogamy and oogamy). Although recent cultural studies on volvocine algae revealed morphological diversity and molecular genetic data of

SUBMITTER: Nozaki H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4015742 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature