Red Algae in the Genomic Age

Abstract

Most people reading this book have childhood memories about being enthralled at the beach with those rare and mysterious living forms we knew as seaweeds. We were fascinated at that time by their range of red hues and textures, and most of all, their exotic beauty. To a scientist, red algae represent much more than apparent features. Their complex forms have attracted morphologists for centuries; their intricate life cycles have brought more than one surprise to plant biologists familiar only with ferns and flowering plants; their unusual tastes have been appreciated for millen- nia, and their valuable chemical constituents have been exploited for nearly as long, most recently by biotech companies; their diversity in marine, freshwater, and ter- restrial environments has offered centuries of engaging entertainment for botanists eager to arrange them in orderly classification systems; still, the red algae continue to teach us how many more challenges need to be overcome in order to understand their biodiversity, biological functions, and evolutionary histories. This book is about the genomics of red algae. The reader will not be dissatis- fied to find that the rhodophytes provide a plethora of genomic surprises to keep us ever more interested in our never-ending biological pursuits. The red algae are one of the most ancient photosynthetic eukaryotes that, along with the green algae and glaucophytes, initiated long and rather complicated evolutionary pathways. Along the way, through further endosymbioses, they changed other life forms resulting in even more complex genomic lineages. Representatives of extant red algae found in our planet are the survivors of significant adventures. Their evolutionary histories may be understood if we decipher their stories. Genomics may provide the key to appreciating the problems these lineages have been con- fronting since their early appearance on our planet, and the elegant adaptive solutions that have insured their survival over millennia. The editors of Red Algae in Genome Age have accomplished a remarkable task in bringing together a group of scientists with a wide range of expertise, including systematics, ecology, biotechnology, molecular biology and medicine, bioinformatics, extremophile biology, and evolutionary biology. The chapters in this volume have been organized into six parts preceded by an introductory sec- tion. The initial part corresponds to the Origin and Evolution of Red Algae (1) followed by General Studies of Rhodophyta (2). The majority of the chapters are assembled in parts (3) Genomic Studies and Biotechnology and (4) Cyanidia. Next follows (5) Biochemistry and Physiology, and a final part (6) comprising the Outlook and Summary. xv Some books on the biology of red algae have had a profound affect on our understanding of these remarkable organisms. They have functioned as a conduit for learning at both undergraduate and graduate levels. These publications are also a mirror of the state of the art of the times, akin to milestones in the history of rhodophytan research. I fondly recall Kylin’s monumental treatise published in 1956 on rhodophytan genera, Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen; his ordinal mor- phology-based classification system endured for almost half a century. Seventeen years passed before the publication of Dixon’s Biology of the Rhodophyta in 1973; this book introduced more dynamic features of the biology of red algae. Another seventeen-year gap preceded the 1990 publication of Biology of Red Algae edited by K. M. Cole and R. G. Sheath, which introduced the readers to a modern over- view of rhodophytan biology, highlighting major advancements in molecular biology, DNA analysis, physiology, and genetics. Seventeen years later, J. Seckbach and D. Chapman began organizing the publication of this book, Red Algae in Genome Age – what a timely publication! The preceding publication leaps have witnessed gigantic technological devel- opments and remarkable algal discoveries that have re-invigorated our incessantly growing understanding of the tree of life. Red Algae in Genome Age will introduce phycologists and scientists in general to novel approaches to better understanding the rhodophtyes. Where terms such as gene expression, genome architecture, genome lineages, phylogenomics, to name just a few, are becoming an essential part of our research on the biology of red algae. The red algae continue to fascinate us with their enigmatic beauty and well- kept secrets. Glimpses into future genomic rhodophytan research can be perceived from the stimulating chapters in this book. Red Algae in Genome Age represents a significant contribution to the field of algal genomics. It will be of great value to phycologists, scientists in general, university mentors and mentees, as well as to a wider audience interested in red algae and their use