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Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: Optimized Transformation Protocol for Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Published on: October 27, 2023
Adaptive innovation of green plants by horizontal gene transfer
Rujia Chen1, Liexiang Huangfu1, Yue Lu1
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Abstract:
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) refers to the movement of genetic material between distinct species by means other than sexual reproduction. HGT has contributed tremendously to the genome plasticity and adaptive evolution of prokaryotes and certain unicellular eukaryotes. The evolution of green plants from chlorophyte algae to angiosperms and from water to land represents a process of adaptation to diverse environments, which has been facilitated by acquisition of genetic material from other organisms. In this article, we review the occurrence of HGT in major lineages of green plants, including chlorophyte and charophyte green algae, bryophytes, lycophytes, ferns, and seed plants. In addition, we discuss the significance of horizontally acquired genes in the adaptive innovations of green plants and their potential applications to crop breeding and improvement.
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