How Have Genome Studies Improved Our Understanding of Organelle Evolution and Metabolism in Red Algae?

Abstract

Genomic studies have revealed a lot about the ancestry of genes in red algae, with a bias among the data for the completely sequenced cyanidiophytes with their relatively small genomes, which are probably a result of secondary evolutionary reduction. Genome studies have revealed a number of interesting facets of the metabolism of organelles, and especially the chloroplasts. However, care must be taken not to overinterpret the genomic data, especially for genes whose products can be involved in more than one cellular function.