Unlike us, unicellular red algae activate sexual reproduction under stress: a pH drop triggers sexual life cycle, boosting survival odds in harsh conditions.
New work in @theplantcell.bsky.social shows this in three Cyanidiophyceae genera, and builds a full genetic toolkit for them.
In Brief here🌱👇🏻
doi.org
The hidden life of unicellular red algae: discovery of a common sexual cycle unlocks a model lineage for eukaryotic evolution
Matteo Pivato; The hidden life of unicellular red algae: discovery of a common sexual cycle unlocks a model lineage for eukaryotic evolution, The Plant Cel