Signatures of Transcription Factor Evolution and the Secondary Gain of Red Algae Complexity
G C A T T A C G G C A T genes Article Signatures of Transcription Factor Evolution and the Secondary Gain of Red Algae Complexity Romy Petroll 1 , Mona Schreiber 1,2 , Hermann Finke 1, J. Mark Cock 3 , Sven B. Gould 1,4 and Stefan A. Rensing 1,5,* 1 Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany; Romy.Petroll@bioinfsys.uni-giessen.de (R.P.); mona.schreiber@biologie.uni-marburg.de (M.S.); hermann.finke@biologie.uni-marburg.de (H.F.); gould@hhu.de (S.B.G.) 2 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Gatersleben, Germany 3 Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPMC University Paris 06, CS 90074, 29688 Roscoff, France; cock@sb-roscoff.fr 4 Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany 5 Centre for Biological Signaling Studies (BIOSS), University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany * Correspondence: stefan.rensing@biologie.uni-marburg.de Abstract: Red algae (Rhodophyta) belong to the superphylum Archaeplastida, and are a species-rich group exhibiting diverse morphologies. Theory has it that the unicellular red algal ancestor went through a phase of genome contraction caused by adaptation to extreme environments. More re- cently, the classes Porphyridiophyceae, Bangiophyceae, and Florideophyceae experienced genome expansions, coinciding with an increase in morphological complexity. Transcription-associated proteins (TAPs) regulate transcription, show lineage-specific patterns, and are related to organis- mal complexity. To better understand red algal TAP complexity and evolution, we investigated Citation: Petroll, R.; Schreiber, M.; the TAP family complement of uni- and multi-cellular red algae.
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