The sexual cycle and intercrossing in the genus Astrephomene

Cryopreservation of two species of the multicellular volvocine green algal genus Astrephomene

BACKGROUND

Astrephomene is an interesting green algal genus that, together with Volvox, shows convergent evolution of spheroidal multicellular bodies with somatic cells of the colonial or multicellular volvocine lineage. A recent whole-genome analysis of A. gubernaculifera resolved the molecular-genetic basis of such convergent evolution, and two species of Astrephomene were described. However, maintenance of culture strains of Astrephomene requires rapid inoculation of living cultures, and cryopreserved culture strains have not been established in public culture collections.

RESULTS

To establish cryopreserved culture strains of two species of Astrephomene, conditions for cryopreservation of the two species were investigated using immature and mature vegetative colonies and two cryoprotectants: N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and hydroxyacetone (HA). Rates of cell survival of the A. gubernaculifera or A. perforata strain after two-step cooling and freezing in liquid nitrogen were compared between different concentrations (3 and 6%) of DMF and HA and two types of colonies: immature colonies (small colonies newly released from the parent) and mature colonies (large colonies just before daughter colony formation). The highest rate of survival [11 ± 13% (0.36-33%) by the most probable number (MPN) method] of A. gubernaculifera strain NIES-4017 (established in 2014) was obtained when culture samples of immature colonies were subjected to cryogenic treatment with 6% DMF. In contrast, culture samples of mature colonies subjected to 3% HA cryogenic treatment showed the highest "MPN survival" [5.5 ± 5.9% (0.12-12%)] in A. perforata. Using the optimized cryopreservation conditions for each species, survival after freezing in liquid nitrogen was examined for six other strains of A. gubernaculifera (established from 1962 to 1981) and another A. perforata strain maintained in the Microbial Culture Collection at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (MCC-NIES). We obtained ≥0.1% MPN survival of the A. perforata strain. However, only two of the six strains of A. gubernaculifera showed ≥0.1% MPN survival. By using the optimal cryopreserved conditions obtained for each species, five cryopreserved strains of two species of Astrephomene were established and deposited in the MCC-NIES.

CONCLUSIONS

The optimal cryopreservation conditions differed between the two species of Astrephomene. Cryopreservation of long-term-maintained strains of A. gubernaculifera may be difficult; further studies of cryopreservation of these strains are needed.

Multicellularity Drives the Evolution of Sexual Traits

From the male peacock's tail plumage to the floral displays of flowering plants, traits related to sexual reproduction are often complex and exaggerated. Why has sexual reproduction become so complicated? Why have such exaggerated sexual traits evolved? Early work posited a connection between multicellularity and sexual traits such as anisogamy (i.e., the evolution of small sperm and large eggs). Anisogamy then drives the evolution of other forms of sexual dimorphism. Yet the relationship between multicellularity and the evolution of sexual traits has not been empirically tested. Given their extensive variation in both multicellular complexity and sexual systems, the volvocine green algae offer a tractable system for understanding the interrelationship of multicellular complexity and sex. Here we show that species with greater multicellular complexity have a significantly larger number of derived sexual traits, including anisogamy, internal fertilization, and secondary sexual dimorphism. Our results demonstrate that anisogamy repeatedly evolved from isogamous multicellular ancestors and that anisogamous species are larger and produce larger zygotes than isogamous species. In the volvocine algae, the evolution of multicellularity likely drives the evolution of anisogamy, and anisogamy subsequently drives secondary sexual dimorphism. Multicellularity may set the stage for the overall diversity of sexual complexity throughout the Tree of Life.

Derivation of the Secondary Structure of the ITS-1 Transcript in Volvocales and its Taxonomic Correlations

Knowledge of secondary structure, formed by the gene spacer regions of the primary transcript of nuclear rDNA cistrons, is lacking for most phyla of eukaryotes. We have sequenced the first internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-1) of multiple representatives of the Volvocales, and from comparisons of these, derived a secondary structure common to the entire group. The secondary structure model is supported by numerous compensating base pair changes located within the paired regions of the stem-loops. Within the morphological species, such as those of Astrephomene and Gonium, the three basal nucleotide pairs of helices are highly conserved in primary sequence, and the single stranded region rich in CCAA is identical in sequence, even when isolates come from all continents of the earth. In other Volvocacean species known to include many pairs of mating types, this same level of conservation is found to correlate with the mating subgroups of the species. Thus a comparable degree of sequence similarity appears to characterize all isolates of a "biological" species; this is valid for taxonomic species only where the biological and taxonomic species levels coincide. In addition, the ITS-1 contains information useful for population analyses, and spacer secondary structure may have additional phylogenetic utility at the level of class or subclass when that information becomes available for other protistan groups.

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION AND INTERCROSSING IN VOLVULINA STEINW(1)

Gametes of Volvulina steinii bear near-apical mating papillae. Zygospore germination yields a single biflagellate cell that develops into a colony xuhose asexual progeny are all of the same mating type. Backcrossing of clones of progeny indicated a 1 :1 ratio of mating types among the progeny. Of 20 clones from a number of localities, none was homothallic and 3 showed no matins: reaction. Mating reactions of clones crossed in all possible combinations indicated the presence of 2 sexually isolated groups of clones producing smooth-walled zygospores and 1 group that produced spiny-walled zygospores. In the latter group weak and nonreciprocal mating reactions occurred in some clone combinations. Failure of germination of spiny-walled zygospores from certain crosses suggests further subdivision into genetically isolated groups.