Macroalgae are multicellular,aquatic autotrophs that play vital roles in global climate maintenance and have diverse applications in biotechnology and eco-engineering,which are directly linked to their multicellularit...Macroalgae are multicellular,aquatic autotrophs that play vital roles in global climate maintenance and have diverse applications in biotechnology and eco-engineering,which are directly linked to their multicellularity phenotypes.However,their genomic diversity and the evolutionary mechanisms underlying multicellularity in these organisms remain uncharacterized.In this study,we sequenced 110 macroalgal genomes from diverse climates and phyla,and identified key genomic features that distinguish them from their microalgal relatives.Genes for cell adhesion,extracellular matrix formation,cell polarity,transport,and cell differentiation distinguish macroalgae from microalgae across all three major phyla,constituting conserved and unique gene sets supporting multicellular processes.Adhesome genes show phylum-and climate-specific expansions that may facilitate niche adaptation.Collectively,our study reveals genetic determinants of convergent and divergent evolutionary trajectories that have shaped morphological diversity in macroalgae and provides genome-wide frameworks to understand photosynthetic multicellular evolution in aquatic environments.展开更多
基金supported by NYUAD Faculty Research Funds(AD060)Tamkeen under the NYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute Award to the NYUAD Center for Genomics and Systems Biology(7371210 CGSB9)。
文摘Macroalgae are multicellular,aquatic autotrophs that play vital roles in global climate maintenance and have diverse applications in biotechnology and eco-engineering,which are directly linked to their multicellularity phenotypes.However,their genomic diversity and the evolutionary mechanisms underlying multicellularity in these organisms remain uncharacterized.In this study,we sequenced 110 macroalgal genomes from diverse climates and phyla,and identified key genomic features that distinguish them from their microalgal relatives.Genes for cell adhesion,extracellular matrix formation,cell polarity,transport,and cell differentiation distinguish macroalgae from microalgae across all three major phyla,constituting conserved and unique gene sets supporting multicellular processes.Adhesome genes show phylum-and climate-specific expansions that may facilitate niche adaptation.Collectively,our study reveals genetic determinants of convergent and divergent evolutionary trajectories that have shaped morphological diversity in macroalgae and provides genome-wide frameworks to understand photosynthetic multicellular evolution in aquatic environments.
