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 | The following is a list of archived papers and developments/news relevant to Volvocales. 
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2012
 June
 Description of two new monoecious species of Volvox sect. Volvox 
(Volvocaceae, Chlorophyceae), based on comparative morphology and
molecualr phylogeny of cultured material. 2012. Nanako Isaka, Hiroko
Kawai-Toyooka, Ryo
Matsuzaki, Takashi Nakada and Hisayoshi Nozaki. J. Phycology 48(3):
759-767.
Evidence for tubular mating structures induced
in each mating type of heterothallic Gonium pectorale (Volvocales,
Chlorophyta). 2012. Yuko Mogi, Takashi Hamaji, Masahiro Suzuki, Patrick
Ferris, Toshiyuki Mori, Yukihiro Kabeya, Shin-ya Miyagishima and
Hisayoshi Nozaki; J. Phycology. 48(3): 670-674 
A comparative analysis of the Volvocaceae (Chlorophyta). 2012. A.W. Coleman. J. Phycology. 48(3): 491-513 
 
May 
            January Dynamic Evolution of Telomeric Sequences in the Green Algal Order ChlamydomonadalesAuthor(s): Fulneckova Jana; Hasikova Tereza; Fajkus Jiri; et al.
 Source: GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION  Volume: 4   Issue: 3   Pages: 248-264
 
 
            2011
 December Evolution of sex and mating loci: An expanded view from Volvocine algaeAuthor(s): Umen James G.
 Source: CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY  Volume: 14   Issue: 6   Pages: 634-641
 
 
            September Flagellar phenotypic plasticity in volvocalean algae correlates with Peclet numberAuthor(s): Solari Cristian A.; Drescher Knut; Ganguly Sujoy; et al.
 Source: JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE  Volume:
8   Issue: 63   Pages: 1409-1417   DOI:
10.1098/rsif.2011.0023   Published: OCT 7 2011
 
 July 
A post-doctoral Research Associate position is available
fall 2011 at Kansas State University in the Division of Biology to study
multicellular evolution using algae as a model system.  This is
a cross-disciplinary position and preference will be given to those with
demonstrated experience in any of these areas: genome/transcriptome
sequencing, genetic screening, molecular cell biology, or algal
biology.  Computational biology experience is highly desired.  The
successful candidate will have access to state of the art facilities and the
ability to work collaboratively within Kansas State and with national and
international collaborators.  A highly motivated career oriented
candidate is most preferred.  Salary will be commensurate with
experience.    
 Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a one-page summary of their past
research accomplishments and a one page summary of future research
interests and career goals to Dr. Bradley Olson at biology@k-state.edu.  In
addition, applicants should arrange for three letters of reference to be
sent to the same email address.
 
 Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer and highly encourages
diversity among its employees.  Background checks are required
for all employees.
 The official posting: http://www.k-state.edu/biology/position_openings/olson_pd.html). Laboratory home: http://www.k-state.edu/olsonlab/
 June 
      |  | Hallmann A. Evolution of 
      reproductive development in the volvocine algae. Sexual Plant 
      Reproduction. 24(2):97-112 |  May 
      |  | Cristian A. Solari , 
      Knut Drescher and Raymond E. Goldstein.  The Flagellar Photoresponse in 
      Volvox species (Volvocaceae, Chlorophyceae) J. Phycol. 47(3): 580-583. DOI: 
      10.1111/j.1529-8817.2011.00983.x |  April 
      |  | 
    Setohigashi Y, Hamaji T, Hayama M, et al. 
    Uniparental Inheritance of Chloroplast DNA Is Strict in the Isogamous 
    Volvocalean Gonium. PLOS ONE 6(4): e19545 |  March 
      |  | Cristian A. Solari, Knut 
      Drescher, Sujoy Ganguly, John O. Kessler, Richard E. Michod and Raymond E. 
      Goldstein. Flagellar phenotypic plasticity in volvocalean algae correlates 
      with Péclet number. J. R. Soc. Interface doi: 10.1098/rsif.2011.0023 |  January 
      |  | The 1st Volvox 
    International Meeting to be held at the 
    Biosphere 2 is in the planning stage; check back for updates. |  2010December 
      |  | Volvox made it on 
    the
    
    poster for the 
    XIth Biocomplexity Workshop on the Evolution of Cooperation at the 
    Indiana University |  |  | Nishii, I., 
    and Miller, S.M. (2010) Volvox: simple steps to developmental 
    complexity? Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 13:1-8. |  |  | Nordhues A., Miller S.M., Mühlhaus T., 
    Schroda M. (2010) New insights into the roles of molecular chaperones in
    Chlamydomonas and
    Volvox. Int. Rev. Cell Mol. Biol. 
    285:75-113. |  November October August July June May April March February January December October September July June 
      |  | A Volvox inversionless mutant highlights the importance 
      of the extracellular matrix in morphogenesis. Eckardt NA. Plant Cell 
      21:1029. |  |  | Controlled enlargement of the glycoprotein vesicle 
      surrounding a Volvox embryo requires the InvB nucleotide-sugar transporter 
      and is required for normal morphogenesis. Ueki N & Nishii I. Plant Cell 
      21: 1166-1181. |  May April March 
      |  | The mitochondrial and plastid genomes of Volvox carteri: 
      bloated molecules rich in repetitive DNA.  Smith DR and Lee RW. BMC 
      Genomics 10:132 |  |  | Triassic origin and early 
      radiation of multicellular volvocine algae. Herron MD, Hackett JD, Aylward 
      FO, Michod RE. PNAS 
      
      106: 3254-3258 |  January 
      |  | A nice
      report on last summer's
      Chlamydomonas Meeting  |  December 
      |  | Idaten is a new 
      cold-inducible transposon of Volvox carteri that can be used for 
      tagging developmentally important genes. Ueki N and Nishii I. Genetics 
      180:1343-1353 |  |  | 
      A new 
      male-specific gene "OTOKOGI" in Pleodorina starrii (Volvocaceae, 
      Chlorophyta) unveils the origin of male and female. Nozaki H.  
      Biologia. 63: 772-777. |  |  | 
      Zygote 
      germination in Pleodorina starrii (Volvocaceae, 
      Chlorophyta). 
      Nozaki H.  
      Biologia. 63: 778-780.
       |  November 
      |  | Volvox barberi, the fastest swimmer 
      of the Volvocales (Chlorophyceae). Solari CA, Michod RE, Goldstein RE. J 
      Phycology 44, 1395-1398 |  September August 
      |  | 
      A taxonomic study of Eudorina unicocca (Volvocaceae, 
      Chlorophyceae) and related species, based on morphology and molecular 
      phylogeny Yamada TK, Miyaji K, Nozaki H
 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 
        Volume: 43   Issue:
      3   Pages: 317-326
 |  July 
      |  | 
      Molecular systematics of Volvocales 
      (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) based on exhaustive 18S rRNA phylogenetic 
      analyses Nakada T, Misawa K, Nozaki H
 MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION 
        Volume: 48   Issue:
      1   Pages: 281-291
 |  June 
      |  | 
      Red-shifted optogenetic excitation: a tool for fast neural control derived 
      from Volvox carteri Zhang F, Prigge M, Beyriere F, et al.
 NATURE NEUROSCIENCE   Volume:
      11   Issue: 6 
        Pages:  631-633
 |  May March 
      |  | 
      On the 
      problem of ecological evolution in Volvox
      Desnitskiy AG. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL 
      BIOLOGY   Volume: 39   Issue:
      2   Pages: 122-124
 |  February January 
      |  | 
      Vectorette PCR-primed 
      transposon display using the Jordan transposon in 
      Volvox carteri: An efficient tool that 
      analyzes more than 300 Jordan-Derived PCR fragments to retrieve tagged 
      genes Ishida K. PROTIST   Volume:
      159   Issue: 1 
        Pages: 5-19
 |  |  | 
      Identification of the 
      minus-dominance gene ortholog in the mating-type locus of Gonium 
      pectorale Hamaji T, Ferris PJ, Coleman AW, et al. GENETICS 
        Volume: 178   Issue:
      1   Pages: 283-294
 |      |  2007 November 
  |  | 
Ishida KSexual pheromone induces diffusion of the pheromone-homologous polypeptide in 
the extracellular matrix of Volvox carteri
 EUKARYOTIC CELL 6 (11): 2157-2162 NOV 2007
 |  October 
  |  | 
Merchant SS, Prochnik SE, Vallon O, et al.The Chlamydomonas genome reveals the evolution of key animal and plant 
functions
 SCIENCE 318 (5848): 245-251 OCT 12 2007
 |  August 
  |  | 
Hallmann AA small cysteine-rich extracellular protein, VCRP, is inducible by the 
sex-inducer of Volvox carteri and by wounding
 PLANTA 226 (3): 719-727
 |  July 
  |  | 
Duncan L, Nishii I, Harryman A, et al.The VARL gene family and the evolutionary origins of the master cell-type 
regulatory gene, regA, in Volvox carteri
 JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EVOLUTION 65 (1): 1-11
 |  June 
  |  | 
The release of the
Volvox carteri 
genome draft at the Joint Genome Institute. |  |  | 
Solari CA, Kessler JO, Goldstein REMotility, mixing, and multicellularity
 GENETIC PROGRAMMING AND EVOLVABLE MACHINES 8 (2): 115-129 JUN 2007
 |  May 
  |  | 
Michod REEvolution of individuality during the transition from unicellular to 
multicellular life
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
104: 8613-8618 Suppl. 1
 |  April 
  |  | 
Check out new movies of Volvox barberi 
hatching, Volvox carteri rolling, and flagellar beating in Volvox 
carteri; visit 
Cristian Solari's and Ray 
Goldstein's webpages |  February 
  |  | 
Maintenance DNA methyltransferase (Met1) and silencing 
of CpG-methylated foreign DNA in Volvox carteri. P. Babinger, R. Volkl, 
I. Cakstina, A. Maftei, and R. Schmitt. Plant Mol. Biol. 63: 325-336. |  January 
  |  | 
Quantitative analysis of cell-type specific gene 
expression in the green alga Volvox carteri. 
Ghazaleh Nematollahi, Arash Kianianmomeni, and
Armin Hallmann.
BMC Genomics 2006, 7:321     doi:10.1186/1471-2164-7-321
 |  2006 December November 
  |  | 
Fukada K, Inoue T, 
Shiraishi HA posttranslationally regulated protease, VheA, is involved in the liberation of 
juveniles from parental spheroids in Volvox carteri
 PLANT CELL 18 (10): 2554-2566 OCT 2006
 |  October 
  |  | 
Babinger K, Hallmann A, 
Schmitt RTranslational control of regA, a key gene controlling cell differentiation in Volvox carteri
 DEVELOPMENT 133 (20): 4045-4051 OCT 15 2006
 |  |  | 
Nozaki H, Ott FD, Coleman 
AWMorphology, molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of two new species of Pleodorina (Volvoceae, 
Chlorophyceae)
 JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 42 (5): 1072-1080 OCT 2006
 |  September August 
  |  | 
New Scientist and
The Economist Stories on the 
finding of a Volvox RegA-like gene family in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
(Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. The evolutionary origin of an altruistic gene. 
Mol. Biol. Evol. 
23: 1460-1464) |  June-July May 
  |  | 
Paper on a regA gene family in Chamydomonas reinhardtii: Nedelcu, 
AM and RE Michod. The evolutionary origin of an altruistic gene. Mol. Biol. Evol. 
23: 1460-1464 |  |  | 
The 12th International conference on the cell and molecular biology of 
Chlamydomonas (May 9 - May 14, Portland, Oregon) has a session on Volvox 
!!!!
http://www.genetics.wustl.edu/chlamy2006/ |  |  | 
Cheng Q, Hallmann A, 
Edwards L, et al.Characterization of a heat-shock-inducible hsp70 gene of the green alga 
Volvox carteri
 GENE 371 (1): 112-120 APR 12 2006
 |  |  | 
Nedelcu, AM. Evidence for 
p53-like-mediated stress responses in green algae. FEBS Letters 
580:3013-3017 |  March & April February January 
  |  | 
A list of Volvox available 
nucleotide sequences (by gene/feature for various Volvox species) with links to 
the GenBank records (courtesy of A. Nedelcu and M. English); follow the link or 
go to Research Tools |  |  | 
A new paper on Volvox et al: |  
Hallmann, A. 2006. The pherophorins: common, versatile building blocks in the 
evolution of extracellular matrix architecture in Volvocales. The Plant Journal 
45:292-307 2005 December November 
  |  | 
A different way to look at the classification of volvocine algae |  
Yoshida H, Yokomori T, Suyama A.
A simple classification of the volvocine algae by formal languages. BULLETIN 
OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY 67 (6): 1339-1354 NOV 2005  Abstract: There are 
several explanations of why certain primitive multicellular organisms aggregate 
in particular forms and why their constituent cells cooperate with one another 
to a particular degree. Utilizing the framework of formal language theory, we 
have derived one possible simple classification of the volvocine algae-one of 
the primitive multicells-for some forms of aggregation and some degrees of 
cooperation among cells. The volvocine algae range from the unicellular 
Chlamydomonas to the multicellular Volvox globator, which has thousands of 
cells. The classification we use in this paper is based on the complexity of 
Parikh sets of families on Chomsky hierarchy in formal language theory. We show 
that an alga with almost no space closed to the environment, e.g., Gonium 
pectorale, can be characterized by PsFIN, one with a closed space and no 
cooperation, e.g., Eudorina elegans, by PsCF, and one with a closed space and 
cooperation, e.g., Volvox globator, by Ps lambda SC. This classification should 
provide new insights into the necessity for specific forms and degrees of 
cooperation in the volvocine algae. (c) 2005 Society for Mathematical Biology. October 
  |  | 
Three new articles on Volvox!!!! |  
Cheng Q, Pappas V, 
Hallmann A, et al. 
Hsp70A and GlsA interact as partner chaperones to regulate asymmetric division 
in Volvox. 
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 286 (2): 537-548 OCT 15 2005
 
Abstract: GlsA, a J-protein chaperone, is 
required for the asymmetric divisions that set aside germ and somatic cell 
precursors during embryogenesis in Volox carteri, and previous evidence 
indicated that this function requires an intact Hsp70-binding site. To determine 
if Hsp70A, the only known cytoplasmic Hsp70 in V. carteri, is the chaperone 
partner of GlsA, we investigated the localization of the two proteins during 
critical stages of embryogenesis and tested their capacity to interact. We found 
that a substantial fraction of Hsp70A co-localizes with GlsA, both in interphase 
and mitotic blastomeres. In addition, Hsp70A coimmunoprecipitated with GlsA, and 
co-expression of GlsA and Hsp70A variants partially rescued the Gls phenotype of 
a glsA mutant, whereas neither variant by itself rescued the mutant phenotype. 
Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that GlsA is about equally abundant in 
all blastomeres at all cleavage stages examined but that Hsp70A is more abundant 
in anterior (asymmetrically dividing) blastomeres than in posterior 
(symmetrically dividing) blastomeres during the period of asymmetric division. 
We conclude that Hsp70A and GlsA function as chaperone partners that regulate 
asymmetric division and that the relative abundance of Hsp70A in asymmetrically 
dividing embryos may determine which blastomeres divide asymmetrically and which 
do not. 
Aono N, Inoue T, Shiraishi 
H.
Genes specifically expressed in sexually differentiated female spheroids of 
Volvox carteri. JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 138 (4): 375-382 OCT 2005 
 
    Abstract: Volvox carteri is a 
    multicellular green alga with only two cell types, somatic cells and 
    reproductive cells. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this organism has 
    evolved from a Chlamydomonas-like unicellular ancestor along with 
    multicellularity, cellular differentiation, and a change in the mode of 
    sexual reproduction from isogamy to oogamy. To examine the mechanism of 
    sexual differentiation and the evolution of oogamy, we isolated 6 different 
    cDNA sequences specifically expressed in sexually differentiated female 
    spheroids. The genes for the cDNAs were designated SEF1 to SEF6. The time 
    course of accumulation of each mRNA was shown to be distinct. The expression 
    of some of these genes was not significantly affected when the sexual 
    inducer was removed after the induction of sexual development. Sequence 
    analysis indicates that SEF5 and SEF6 encode pherophorin-related proteins. 
    Of these, SEF5 has the unique structural feature of a polyproline stretch in 
    the C-terminal domain in addition to the one found in the central region.
 
 Wadhwa V, Kumar S, Rai S, et al.
A 'pseudo outbreak' of the contamination of blood cultures with Volvox 
globator. ANNALS OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PARASITOLOGY 99 (7): 719-720 OCT 
2005
 
 
September 
    |  | 
Article on Chlamydomonas stress genes co-opted for sex in Volvox 
carteri (by AM Nedelcu) in Proceedings of the Royal Society B 272:1935-1940 |  August 
  |  | New Scientist
story on a recent 
article on Chlamydomonas stress genes co-opted for sex in Volvox 
carteri (by AM Nedelcu) in Proceedings of the Royal Society B |  March 
  |  | A nice picture set 
depicting many volvocalen algae and Volvox carteri 
mutants! Courtesy 
of Cristian Solari, John Kessler and Raymond Goldstein (University of Arizona, 
Tucson)  |  |  | A
color plate depicting a 
subset of volvocalean algae. Courtesy 
of Cristian Solari, John Kessler and Raymond Goldstein (University of Arizona, 
Tucson)  |  2004 December 
  |  | Land of the 
Rising Chlamy: A Report of the 11th International Meeting  on the Cell 
and Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas held in Kobe, Japan, from May 
11-15, 2004. In Protist, Vol. 155: 373-38o, December 2004 |  November October 
  |  | Check the link to the 
University of Toronto Culture Collection of Algae and Cyanobacteria (UTCC) in 
the VIP Cultures section; the list of UTCC strains now includes UTCC 629 
Volvox carteri which is equivalent to CCCM  7096 and former UTEX LB 1875 
(not included yet in the web list, but contact Judy Acreman at 
jacreman@botany.utoronto.ca). |  August 
  |  | Dr. David L. Kirk's quick guide to Volvox; in
CURRENT BIOLOGY, 14, 
R599-R600 (for pdf click
here) |  |  | 
Click
here for an article contrasting the science and the "many 
sensationalized, out of context, and even nonsensical popular press treatments" 
of the research on Volvox, stress and sex by Nedelcu et al. 2004 (UNB 
Science Continuum, Volume 5 Issue 11, 
August 18, 2004) |  July 
  |  | Pdf file of a recent 
paper on sex and oxidative stress in Volvox carteri:
Nedelcu AM, Marcu O, 
and RE Michod.  
2004. Sex as a response to 
oxidative stress: A two-fold increase in cellular reactive oxygen species 
activates sex genes.
Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 
271, 1591-1596. |  |  | A wonderful 
Perspective on their research on Volvox, by Drs. Marilyn M. Kirk and 
David L. Kirk in the June 2004 issue of J. Biosci. |  |  | Pdf files of 
Dr. 
Desnitskiy's  seminal papers on development in Volvox, and the 
evolution of multicellularity  |  June 
  |  | Our Volvocales 
plate featured in "Everything 
you always wanted to know about sexes" by John Whitfield,
PLoS Biology, 2(6):718-721. |  |  | 
    Volvox makes the news!   Click 
on the links below for press release and media articles about the a recently 
released work on sex in Volvox: 
Nedelcu AM, Marcu O, 
and RE Michod.  
2004. Sex as a response to 
oxidative stress: A two-fold increase in cellular reactive oxygen species 
activates sex genes.
Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 
(published on June 9th issue online on FirstCite) 
UA press release, 
Science, 
 
New Scientist, 
Scientific American,
CBC News, 
Springernews, 
Newswise, Eurekalert,
Betterhumans,
Science 
Daily, 
Innovations-report, 
Scienceblog,
vista verde,
Spektrumdirekt, ORF ON 
Science, 
Wissenschaft, 
Scienticker, 
Polskie Radio, 
BRIC, 
Wissen,, 
Galileo, 
National Post,
Globe and Mail, 
Montreal 
Gazette, The Ottawa Citizen, The Leader-Post, The StarPhoenix, Vancouver Sun, 
Times Colonist, The Windows Star, CanWestNews Service,
Tucson Citizen, 
Spektrum der Wissenschaft 
  CBC Radio – Information Morning, Saint John; June 23, 2004; Algae Sex (http://nb.cbc.ca/saintjohn/media/algae23.ram) 
   
  
     Volvox carteri
zygotes; courtesy of Aurora 
  Nedelcu  - see also Photo Album |  May 
  |  | Literature database: titles and abstracts (some PDFs 
too) for all publications related to Volvox, Pleodorina, Eudorina, Gonium, from 
1973 to date; see Publications |  |  | Chlamydomonas Genetics  |  April March  
  |  | 
  Abstract 
  of a recently accepted paper (Proc. Roy. Soc. Biological Sciences) on reactive 
  oxygen species and sex in Volvox carteri; courtesy of Aurora 
  Nedelcu |  |  | 
  Media recipes |  |  | Dr. 
  Alexei Desnitskiy 
  joins VIP |  |  | two papers (2000,
  
  2002) and an abstract (2003) 
  on Volvox ecology, geographical distribution, development and reproduction - 
  courtesy of Alexei Desnitskiy |  February  
  |  | "Red" 
  Volvox 
  - chlorophyll 
autofluoresence; courtesy of Aurora Nedelcu |  |  | "Bright" 
  Volvox - bright field image; courtesy of Aurora Nedelcu |  |  | "hot" 
  Volvox - heat-stressed sex-induced Volvox; courtesy of Oana 
  Marcu and Aurora Nedelcu |  |  | "Christmas" Volvox - heat-induced apoptosis in Volvox; green DCFDA 
  fluoresecence; courtesy of Oana Marcu and Aurora Nedelcu |  |  | Why 
  Volvocales? |  |  |   |  January  
  |  | pdf files of two papers on Volvox carteri (see 
  Publications); 
  courtesy of Aurora Nedelcu and Rick Michod |  
  |  | Diagram of Volvox carteri sexual cycle (see 
  Life-history); courtesy 
  of Rick Michod |  |  | Picture of an asexual Volvox carteri female with asexual 
  babies (see Photo Album); courtesy of Cristian Solari |  |  | List of publications (year 2003) on Volvox (see 
  Publications) |  |