The role of horizontal gene transfer in kleptoplastidy and the establishment of photosynthesis in the eukaryotes

Abstract

Found in different eukaryotic lineages, kleptoplastidy is the ability to sequester chloroplasts from algal preys that are ingested and partially digested. While most of the genetic information required for the activity and maintenance of the kleptoplastids disappeared with the digestion of the algal nuclei, the photosynthetic organelles remain active during extended period of time. Many different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the longevity of the kleptoplastids within their host. The most popular one involves Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) from the algal genome to the host nucleus. In order to test this hypothesis, transcriptome-based analyses have been performed on different kleptoplastidic organisms during the past few years. However, the variability of the results obtained does not allow drawing a convincing conclusion regarding the precise role of HGT in kleptoplastidy. Understanding the mechanism that allow persistence of the plastids is crucial, not only for the characterization of kleptoplastidy, but also for important evolutionary questions surrounding endosymbiotic events and the emergence and spread of photosynthesis in the eukaryotes. Here, I discuss alternative theories that could explain the longevity of sequestered plastids in their host, with special focus on the simplest chloroplast stability hypothesis.