Hybrid 'Planimal' Cells Retain Nearly Complete Algal Genome After Fusion Test

Researchers have managed to generate hybrid cells, termed “planimals,” through the fusion of animal and algal cells, and their analysis indicates that these hybrids retain nearly the whole algal genome. As detailed in a newly posted pre‑print, this result shows that DNA from a photosynthetic partner can survive within a non‑photosynthetic host to a far greater extent than earlier assumptions suggested.

The procedure combined the cytoplasm of cultured animal cells with that of a green alga using the conventional polyethylene glycol‑mediated fusion method. Following the merger, the team extracted the nuclei of the hybrids and carried out whole‑genome sequencing, uncovering that most algal genes stayed intact inside the planimal cells.

These findings contest the traditional belief that, during cell fusion, one partner’s nuclear genome usually overwhelms the other, which is often eliminated or silenced. In contrast, the planimal cells seem to preserve an almost full complement of algal chromosomes, indicating a more equitable genetic sharing than standard vertical inheritance models would anticipate.

Vertical inheritance—DNA transmission directly from parent to progeny—has traditionally underpinned genetics. The planimal study offers a lab‑based illustration of a non‑vertical transfer route, mirroring natural events like the endosymbiotic origins of mitochondria and chloroplasts that occurred billions of years prior.

Apart from its conceptual significance, retaining algal DNA within animal cells creates new possibilities for synthetic‑biology initiatives. Scientists imagine engineered life forms that merge animal metabolic routes with photosynthetic functions, which could pave the way for innovative bio‑fuel generation methods or fresh approaches to carbon sequestration.

Upcoming research will aim to establish if the preserved algal genes remain functionally expressed across successive cell divisions and to evaluate the hybrid genome’s stability. Ethical and biosafety issues will also be addressed as the discipline advances toward increasingly intricate inter‑kingdom cellular engineering.