Switching it up: algal insights into sexual transitions

While the process of meiosis is highly conserved across eukaryotes, the sexual systems that govern life cycle phase transitions are surprisingly labile. Switches between sexual systems have profound evolutionary and ecological consequences, in particular for plants, but our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and ultimate causes underlying these transitions is still surprisingly incomplete. We explore here the idea that brown and green algae may be interesting comparative models that can increase our understanding of relevant processes in plant reproductive biology, from evolution of gamete dimorphism, gametogenesis, sex determination and transitions in sex-determining systems.

Automated summary

Although the process of meiosis is highly conserved across eukaryotes, the transitions between sexual systems have profound evolutionary and ecological consequences for plants. Research suggests that brown and green algae may serve as interesting comparative models to enhance our understanding of plant reproductive biology processes, such as gamete dimorphism, gametogenesis, sex determination, and transitions in sex-determining systems.