Prasinoderma coloniale
Species of algae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prasinoderma coloniale is a species of green algae in the genus Prasinoderma, and the phylum Prasinodermophyta.[1] It played a key role in the discovery of a third major phylum of green plants, Prasinodermophyta, distinct from Chlorophyta and Streptophyta.[2] It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.[3]
| Prasinoderma coloniale | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Archaeplastida |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Prasinodermophyta |
| Class: | Prasinodermophyceae |
| Order: | Prasinodermatales |
| Family: | Prasinodermataceae |
| Genus: | Prasinoderma |
| Species: | P. coloniale |
| Binomial name | |
| Prasinoderma coloniale Hasegawa & Chihara, 1996 | |
Characteristics
Prasinoderma coloniale forms loose, sticky colonies, unlike its solitary cousin P. singularis, the cells are spherical and non-flagellated. it is also shaped in a coccoid-like shape.[4]
Genomic features
Prasinoderma coloniale has an unusually high guanine-cytosine content of 69.8%.[5] It also has a low rate of mutations through their genes.[5] Their mitochondrial genome spans 54,546 bp and contains two trans-spliced group I introns in the large subunit rRNA gene, which is a rare feature among eukaryotes.[6]
History
It was discovered in the year 1996 by researchers T.Hasegawa and M. Chihara. It was first described as a new pelagic coccoid prasinophyte.[citation needed] In 2020, a study revealed that P. coloniale belonged to a separate phylum of green plants, the phylum diverged before the split between Chlorophyta and Streptophyta, making it extremely important for early plant evolution.[1]
Significance
Research has found that P. coloniale has unique adaptations for nutrient poor environments and has a rare form of C4 like photosynthesis and carbon-concentrating mechanisms.[1]