Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London SW7 5BD, UK.
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Trends Plant Sci. 2017 Aug;22(8):726-738. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.05.005. Epub 2017 Jun 10.
Algae are (mostly) photosynthetic eukaryotes that occupy multiple branches of the tree of life, and are vital for planet function and health. In this review, we highlight a transformative period in studies of the evolution and functioning of this extraordinary group of organisms and their potential for novel applications, wrought by high-throughput 'omic' and reverse genetic methods. We cover the origin and diversification of algal groups, explore advances in understanding the link between phenotype and genotype, consider algal sex determination, and review progress in understanding the roots of algal multicellularity. Experimental evolution studies to determine how algae evolve in changing environments are highlighted, as is their potential as production platforms for compounds of commercial interest, such as biofuel precursors, nutraceuticals, or therapeutics.
藻类（主要）是光合真核生物，占据了生命之树的多个分支，对地球的功能和健康至关重要。在这篇综述中，我们强调了通过高通量“组学”和反向遗传学方法研究这个非凡生物群体的进化和功能及其潜在新应用的变革时期。我们涵盖了藻类群体的起源和多样化，探讨了理解表型和基因型之间联系的进展，考虑了藻类的性别决定，并回顾了理解藻类多细胞性根源的进展。强调了用于确定藻类如何在不断变化的环境中进化的实验进化研究，以及它们作为具有商业价值的化合物（如生物燃料前体、营养保健品或治疗剂）生产平台的潜力。
