Transmission Electron Microscopy shows the longitudinal section of a single filament of Z. circumcarinatum SAG 698-1b. The algal cells are connected with very thin cross cell walls (cCW). The cell wall (CW) is surrounded by a thick extracellular matrix (ECM). Pyrenoids: Py, Nucleus: N. Scale bar: 5 μm. [Image Credit: Elke Woelken and Klaus von Schwartzenberg, University of Hamburg]By studying the genes of land plants’ closest algal relative, Zygnematophyceae, scientists have enhanced our understanding of how early plants transitioned from water to land. Through the Community Science Program of the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), scientists sequenced the genomes of four Zygnematophyceae algae, which were isolated from diverse freshwater environments. These led to highly detailed assemblies for three strains of Zygnema circumcarinatum. Published May 2024 in Nature Genetics by an international research consortium led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Goettingen, this research provides critical insights into the common ancestry of these algae and land plants. Learn more on the JGI’s website.
