Lessons from nucleomorphs
Maier, U.G.
Philipps-Universität Marburg, FB Botanik Zellbiologie, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
Cryptomonads, small biflagellate algae, are chimaric cells containing four different DNA containing compartments. Beside a nucleus, plastid and mitochondrion, a second cell nucleus, the nucleomorph, is maintained. The nucleomorph is a remnant nucleus of a former free-living algae that have been engulfed by another eukaryotic cell and put to work as a solar-powered food factory (secondary endocytobiosis). In an international cooperation, we are sequencing the small eukaryotic nucleomorph genome of one cryptomonad. In our project we identified a potpourri of housekeeping genes as well as some still unknown genes for plastid proteins. Our data support an evolutionary model of secondary endocytobiosis which explains the occurance of a nucleomorph and the evolution of algae containing complex plastids.
| LOCATION |
DATE |
TIME |
| Lecture Hall I |
Monday, April 6 |
10:35 am |