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Brown-algae development joins the hourglass club

Multicellular species of animals and plants differ in form but look similar when their body plan is established — described as an hourglass-like pattern of development. Independently evolved brown algae develop this way, too.
  1. Diethard Tautz

    1. Diethard Tautz is at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany, and at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

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Comparative studies of evolutionary lineages can reveal biological patterns that apply generally across many forms of life. Writing in Nature, Lotharukpong et al.1 report their studies of brown algae (also called brown seaweeds) — a newly established model system to explore multicellular development. This form of multicellularity arose independently from that found in plants and in animals. These three manifestations of multicellular life are not necessarily expected to have much in common, but if they do, the commonalities are likely to point to key underlying principles. Lotharukpong et al. report that brown algae — which include species such as Fucus serratus, Fucus distichus and those belonging to the genus Ectocarpus — show a pattern of gene expression described as an hourglass (for its egg-timer shape) during their development, resembling the one previously found in animals and in plants.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03316-2

References

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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