Evolution of multicellularity in the volvocine algae

Current Opinion in Plant Biology

Volumn 2, Issue 6, 1999, Pages 496-501

  Kirk, David L ^a  

^a WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CELL DIFFERENTIATION; CLONE; EVOLUTION;

CHLAMYDOMONAS; VOLVOX;

EID: 0033485841     PISSN: 13695266     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S1369-5266(99)00019-9     Document Type: Review

References (49)

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4. Kirk D.L. Volvox: Molecular-Genetic Origins of Multicellularity and Cellular Differentiation, vol 381. 1998;Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. A comprehensive treatise on the ontogeny and phylogeny of Volvox, particularly Volvox carteri. Most of the topics that are touched on in the present review are discussed in considerably more detail in this monograph.
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43. ••] report the first uses of an inducible transposon (see [39]) to tag and recover a developmentally important Volvox gene. The glsA gene, which plays an essential role in the asymmetric divisions that set apart germ and somatic cell lineages, is shown to encode a protein that contains two protein-binding sites, and that associates with the mitotic spindle in dividing cells.
44. ••] report the first uses of an inducible transposon (see [39]) to tag and recover a developmentally important Volvox gene. The regA gene, which prevents reproductive development in somatic cells, is shown to be a nuclear protein with features of an active transcriptional repressor that is present in somatic cells, but not gonidia, for most of the life cycle.
45. Tam L.-W., Kirk D.L. Identification of cell-type-specific genes of Volvox carteri and characterization of their expression during the asexual life cycle. Dev Biol. 145:1991;51-66.
46. Tam L.-W., Stamer K.A., Kirk D.L. Early and late gene expression programs in developing somatic cells of Volvox carteri. Dev Biol. 145:1991;67-76.
47. Choi G., Przybylska M., Straus D. Three abundant germ line-specific transcripts in Volvox carteri encode photosynthetic proteins. Curr Genet. 30:1996;347-355.
48. ••] that have recognizable open reading frames are nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins. This leads to the hypothesis that regA exerts its effect on germ-soma differentiation by repressing chloroplast biogenesis in somatic cells.
49. Coleman A.W., Maguire M.J. A microspectrophotometric analysis of nuclear and chloroplast DNA in Volvox. Dev Biol. 94:1982;441-450.