The greening ashore. (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schreiber, Mona; Rensing, Stefan A.; Gould, Sven B.
• Is Part Of: Trends in plant science. Volume 27:Number 9(2022)
• Page Start: 847
• Page End: 857
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: plant evolution -- terrestrialization -- streptophyta -- embryophyta; Botany -- Periodicals; Botanique -- Périodiques; Botany; Periodicals; 580.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.05.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-1385

Abstract

Abstract : More than half a billion years ago a streptophyte algal lineage began terraforming the terrestrial habitat and the Earth's atmosphere. This pioneering step enabled the subsequent evolution of all complex life on land, and the past decade has uncovered that many traits, both morphological and genetic, once thought to be unique to land plants, are conserved across some streptophyte algae. They provided the common ancestor of land plants with a repertoire of genes, of which many were adapted to overcome the new biotic and abiotic challenges. Exploring these molecular adaptations in non-tracheophyte species may help us to better prepare all green life, including our crops, for the challenges precipitated by the climate change of the Anthropocene because the challenges mostly differ by the speed with which they are now being met. Highlights: Two decisive endosymbiotic events, the emergence of eukaryotes followed by the further incorporation of a photosynthesizing cyanobacterium, laid the foundation for the development of plant life. Increasing cellular complexity, the development of new body plans, new molecular adaptations, and constant colonization of novel habitats probably paved the way for plant evolution from fresh water to salt water and, at least 500 million years ago, to land. The history of plant life, and particularly the greening ashore, is inseparably linked to the success of all life as we know it today. Plant life enriched the atmosphere with oxygen and fixed CO2, thereby paving the way for the success of further life in this previously hostile habitat – and ultimately enabled the emergence of our own species.