Asymmetric cell divisions: Zygotes of fucoid algae as a model system

Abstract

Asymmetric cell divisions are commonly used across diverse phyla to generate different kinds of cells during development. Although asymmetric divisions play important roles during development in plants, algae, fungi, and animals, emerging data indicate that there is some variability amongst the mechanisms that are at play in these different organisms. Zygotes of fucoid algae have long served as models for understanding early developmental processes including cell polarization and asymmetric cell division. In addition, brown algae are phylogenetically distant from other organisms, including plant models, a feature that makes them interesting from a comparative perspective (Andersen 2004; Peters et al. 2004). This monograph focuses on advances made toward understanding how asymmetric divisions are regulated in fucoid algae and, where appropriate, comparisons are made to higher plant zygotes. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.