Prasinoderma coloniale
Prasinoderma coloniale is a species of green algae in the genus Prasinoderma, and the phylum Prasinodermophyta. It played a key role in the discovery of a third major phylum of green plants, Prasinodermophyta, distinct from Chlorophyta and Streptophyta. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
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.
Genomic features
Prasinoderma coloniale has an unusually high guanine-cytosine content of 69.8%. It also has a low rate of mutations through their genes. 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.
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. 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.
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.