Two types of ftsZ genes isolated from the unicellular primitive red alga Galdieria sulphuraria

FtsZ plays a crucial role in bacterial cell division, and may be involved i n plastid division in eukaryotes. To investigate the evolution of the divid ing apparatus from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, the ftsZ genes were isolated from the unicellular primitive red alga Galdieria sulphuraria. Two ftsZ gen es (GsftsZ1 and GsftsZ2) were isolated. This suggests that duplication and divergence of the ftsZ gene occurred in an early stage of plant evolution, A comparison of the FtsZs of G. sulphuraria and other organisms shows that FtsZ is highly and universally conserved among prokaryotes, primitive eukar yotic algae, and higher plants. The GsftsZ2 gene seems to contain an intron . Southern hyhridization analysis of the G. sulphuraria chromosomes separat ed by CHEF revealed that each ftsZ gene and its flanking region may be dupl icated.