Cascades of convergent evolution: The corresponding evolutionary histories of euglenozoans and dinoflagellates

0334920 - BC 2010 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Lukeš, Julius - Leander, B. S. - Keeling, P. J.
Cascades of convergent evolution: The corresponding evolutionary histories of euglenozoans and dinoflagellates.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Roč. 106, č. 1 (2009), s. 9963-9970. ISSN 0027-8424. E-ISSN 1091-6490
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/1667; GA MŠMT LC07032; GA MŠMT 2B06129
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518
Keywords : comparative genomics * convergent evolution * dinoflagellates * Euglenozoa * mitochondria * molecular evolution * plastids * RNA editing * RNA editing
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 9.432, year: 2009

The majority of eukaryotic diversity is hidden in protists, yet our current knowledge of processes and structures in the eukaryotic cell is almost exclusively derived from multicellular organisms. The increasing sensitivity of molecular methods and growing interest in microeukaryotes has only recently demonstrated that many features so far considered to be universal for eukaryotes actually exist in strikingly different versions. In other words, during their long evolutionary histories, protists have solved general biological problems in many more ways than previously appreciated. Interestingly, some groups have broken more rules than others, and the Euglenozoa and the Alveolata stand out in this respect. A review of the numerous odd features in these two groups allows us to draw attention to the high level of convergent evolution in protists, which perhaps reflects the limits that certain features can be altered.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0179529