Trebouxia
Genus of algae / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Trebouxia is a unicellular green alga.[1] It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and temperate regions.[2][3][4][5][6] It can either exist in a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the form of lichen or it can survive independently as a free-living organism alone or in colonies.[7] Trebouxia is the most common photobiont in extant lichens.[8] It is a primary producer of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.[3] It uses carotenoids and chlorophyll a and b to harvest energy from the sun and provide nutrients to various animals and insects.[2][4]
Trebouxia | |
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Scientific classification | |
(unranked): | Viridiplantae |
Division: | Chlorophyta |
Class: | Trebouxiophyceae |
Order: | Trebouxiales |
Family: | Trebouxiaceae |
Genus: | Trebouxia Puymaly |
Type species | |
Trebouxia arboricola Puymaly | |
Species | |
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Synonyms | |
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An ancestor of Trebouxia may have introduced photosynthesis into terrestrial habitats approximately 450 million years ago.[9] It is also a bioindicator of habitat disturbances, freshwater quality, air pollution, carbon dioxide concentration, and climate change.[10][11] Furthermore, its life cycle is complex and much research needs to be done to characterize it more completely.[12][13][14][15][1][5] For decades, the presence of sexual reproduction was unknown.[16] However, recent (2000s) molecular evidence of recombination and the observation of sexual fusions of gametes to form zygotes suggest that sexual reproduction occurs.[5]
Trebouxia (as circumscribed in 1994) is a paraphyletic group;[17] the issue was resolved by moving some members to Asterochloris.[18] Horizontal gene transfer of protein encoding genes between fungi and Trebouxia is known to have occurred.[19][5] There is also evidence of intron horizontal gene transfer among different strains of Trebouxia in lichen thalli.[5] The presence of globose cells in fossil lichens from the Lower Devonian period (415 million years ago) that look similar to Trebouxia indicate the significance of Trebouxia-like fungal symbiosis throughout the terrestrial history of Earth.[8]