Developmental biology ofAcetabularia

Abstract

Acetabularia(Dasycladaceae: Chlorophyta) is a giant unicellular marine alga possessing a single nucleus but several millions of chloroplasts and mitochondria. It presents a polar growth and a peculiar morphological differentiation, comprising the development of a branched rhizoid at its basal end, where the nucleus is located, and the formation of several seriated whorls and then a reproductive cap at the apex of the stalk.Acetabulariais particularly useful in many fields of cellular and molecular biology. Recent work and current ideas on its developmental biology are summarized and discussed.