Gene Transfer from Bacteria and Archaea Facilitated Evolution of an Extremophilic Eukaryote.

The article discusses horizontal gene transfer between the extremophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria and prokaryotes. Topics include sequencing of G. sulphuraria's 13.7-megabase genome to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of adaptation to its environment, the metabolic flexibility of G. sulphuraria, which was able to grow either photoautotrophically or heterotrophically on more than 50 carbon sources, the facilitation of environmental adaptation by horizontal gene transfer from various bacteria and archaea, which the authors note is often followed by gene family expansion, and the percentage of protein-coding genes of G. sulphuraria acquired horizontally and their role in several ecological processes, such as glycerol uptake and metabolism.