Sex determination in Chlamydomonas

The sex-determination system of the unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, is governed by genes in the mating-type (MT) locus and entails additional genes located in autosomes. Gene expression is initiated by nitrogen starvation, and cells differentiate into plus or minus gametes within 6 h. Reviewed is our current understanding of gametic differentiation and fertilization, initiation of zygote development, and the uniparental inheritance of organelle genomes.