Green Sea Slug Borrows Genes from Algae
Posted on February 9, 2015
Scientists have discovered that a unique green sea slug borrows genes from algae so it can sustain photosynthetic processes and "feed" on sunlight. The Emerald Green Sea Slug, Elysia chlorotica, resembles a leaf. The sea slug also eats the algae it borrows the genes from.
Scientists found genes of the algae in the sea slug's chromosomes. It has been known since the 1970s that the slug steals chloroplasts from the algae, V. litorea and then embeds them in its own digestive cells. Researchers say the chloroplasts continue to photosynthesize for up to nine month once inside the slug's cells. The researchers discovered that having the algae genes inside its chromosomes helps keep these stolen chloroplasts functioning.
Study co-author Sidney K. Pierce, an emeritus professor at the University of South Florida and University of Maryland, says in a statement, "This paper confirms that one of several algal genes needed to repair damage to chloroplasts, and keep them functioning, is present on the slug chromosome. The gene is incorporated into the slug chromosome and transmitted to the next generation of slugs."
The researchers also say the sea slug's ability is one of the only known examples of functional gene transfer from one multicellular species to another. The process could offer clues for gene therapy in humans.
A research paper on the sea slug can be found here in the journal, The Biological Bulletin.
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