Algal genes in aplastidic eukaryotes are not necessarily derived from historical plastids

Abstract

In photosynthetic eukaryotes, many genes were transferred from plastids or algal endosymbionts to nuclear genomes of host cells. These transferred genes are often considered genetic footprints of plastids. However, genes of algal origin have also been detected in some plastid-lacking eukaryotes, and these genes are often cited as evidence of historical plastids. In this paper, we discuss two recent publications about algal genes in plastid-lacking eukaryotes. Both studies highlight the point that algal genes are not exclusively derived from historical plastids. Instead, the findings show that gene acquisition through feeding activities is a plausible explanation.