The evolutionary origins of streptophyte multicellularity
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Applied Bioinformatics Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen Julia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3 37077 Göttingen Germany
- 2Department of Experimental Phycology and SAG Culture Collection of Algae Albrecht‐von‐Haller‐Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen Nikolausberger Weg 18 37073 Göttingen Germany
- 3Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain
- 4Research Department for Limnology University of Innsbruck Mondseestr. 9 5310 Mondsee Austria
- 5Plant Cell Biology University of Marburg Karl‐von‐Frisch‐Straße 8 35043 Marburg Germany
- 6Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology Martin‐Luther‐University Halle‐Wittenberg Weinbergweg 10 06120 Halle (Saale) Germany
- 7Faculty of Applied Computer Sciences and Biosciences, Section Biotechnology and Chemistry, Molecular Biotechnology University of Applied Sciences Mittweida Technikumplatz 17 09648 Mittweida Germany
- 8Department of Applied Bioinformatics Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen Julia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3 37077 Göttingen Germany
- 9University of Göttingen, Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS) Julia‐Lermontowa‐Weg 3 37077 Göttingen Germany
Abstract
Over their more than 1 billion years of evolutionary history, streptophytes have repeatedly transitioned between unicellular, simple multicellular and complex multicellular forms. Rather than a linear trajectory toward increasing complexity culminating in land plants, streptophyte evolution is now understood as highly dynamic. Phylogenomic analyses reveal an early origin of multicellularity followed by lineage-specific losses, reductions and secondary gains of complexity. Filamentous and parenchymatous body plans in Charophyceae and Coleochaetophyceae are derived rather than direct precursors of land plant multicellularity, while zygnematophyte algae - the sister group to embryophytes - exhibit dramatic reductions to unicellular or filamentous forms despite retaining genetic toolkits linked to multicellular traits. We argue that streptophyte multicellular evolution is best explained by regulatory changes at the cellular level rather than gene gain or loss alone. Variation in cell division patterns, polarity establishment, cell wall sensing and intercellular connectivity plays a central role in shaping body plan diversity. We further propose that rewiring protein-protein interaction networks, mediated by intrinsically disordered regions and short linear motifs, represents a key mechanism driving repeated evolutionary innovation. Integrating comparative genomics, ancestral state reconstruction and functional cell biology will clarify how conserved molecular toolkits generated streptophyte diversity and ultimately facilitated the emergence of land plants.
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BibTeX
@article{darienko2026evolutionary,
title = {{The evolutionary origins of streptophyte multicellularity}},
author = {Tatyana Darienko and Cäcilia F. Kunz and Elisa S. Goldbecker and Erika Endriulaitytė and Maaike J. Bierenbroodspot and Maike Lorenz and Iker Irisarri and Thomas Pröschold and Katharina Bürstenbinder and Henrik Buschmann and Jan de Vries},
journal = {New Phytologist},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1111/nph.71415},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71415},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The evolutionary origins of streptophyte multicellularity
AU - Tatyana Darienko
AU - Cäcilia F. Kunz
AU - Elisa S. Goldbecker
AU - Erika Endriulaitytė
AU - Maaike J. Bierenbroodspot
AU - Maike Lorenz
AU - Iker Irisarri
AU - Thomas Pröschold
AU - Katharina Bürstenbinder
AU - Henrik Buschmann
AU - Jan de Vries
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/09
JO - New Phytologist
DO - 10.1111/nph.71415
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71415
AB - Over their more than 1 billion years of evolutionary history, streptophytes have repeatedly transitioned between unicellular, simple multicellular and complex multicellular forms. Rather than a linear trajectory toward increasing complexity culminating in land plants, streptophyte evolution is now understood as highly dynamic. Phylogenomic analyses reveal an early origin of multicellularity followed by lineage-specific losses, reductions and secondary gains of complexity. Filamentous and parenchymatous body plans in Charophyceae and Coleochaetophyceae are derived rather than direct precursors of land plant multicellularity, while zygnematophyte algae - the sister group to embryophytes - exhibit dramatic reductions to unicellular or filamentous forms despite retaining genetic toolkits linked to multicellular traits. We argue that streptophyte multicellular evolution is best explained by regulatory changes at the cellular level rather than gene gain or loss alone. Variation in cell division patterns, polarity establishment, cell wall sensing and intercellular connectivity plays a central role in shaping body plan diversity. We further propose that rewiring protein-protein interaction networks, mediated by intrinsically disordered regions and short linear motifs, represents a key mechanism driving repeated evolutionary innovation. Integrating comparative genomics, ancestral state reconstruction and functional cell biology will clarify how conserved molecular toolkits generated streptophyte diversity and ultimately facilitated the emergence of land plants.
SN - 0028-646X
SN - 1469-8137
ER -