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Škaloud P, Jadrná I, Dvořák P, Škvorová Z, Pusztai M, Čertnerová D, Bestová H, Rengefors K. Rapid diversification of a free-living protist is driven by adaptation to climate and habitat. Curr Biol 2024; 34:92-105.e6. [PMID: 38103550 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Microbial eukaryotes (protists) have major functional roles in aquatic ecosystems, including the biogeochemical cycling of elements as well as occupying various roles in the food web. Despite their importance for ecosystem function, the factors that drive diversification in protists are not known. Here, we aimed to identify the factors that drive differentiation and, subsequently, speciation in a free-living protist, Synura petersenii (Chrysophyceae). We sampled five different geographic areas and utilized population genomics and quantitative trait analyses. Habitat and climate were the major drivers of diversification on the local geographical scale, while geography played a role over longer distances. In addition to conductivity and temperature, precipitation was one of the most important environmental drivers of differentiation. Our results imply that flushing episodes (floods) drive microalgal adaptation to different niches, highlighting the potential for rapid diversification in protists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic.
| | - Iva Jadrná
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Dvořák
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Škvorová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pusztai
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic; Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec, 46117 Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Dora Čertnerová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Bestová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Praha, Czech Republic; Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Jadrná I, Siver PA, Škaloud P. Morphological evolution of silica scales in the freshwater genus Synura (Stramenopiles). J Phycol 2021; 57:355-369. [PMID: 33135154 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A high degree of morphological variability is expressed between the ornately sculptured siliceous scales formed by species in the chrysophycean genus, Synura. In this study, we aimed to uncover the general principles and trends underlying the evolution of scale morphology in this genus. We assessed the relationships among thirty extant Synura species using a robust molecular analysis that included six genes, coupled with morphological characterization of the species-specific scales. The analysis was further enriched with addition of morphological information from fossil specimens and by including the unique modern species, Synura punctulosa. We inferred the phylogenetic position of the morphologically unique S. punctulosa, to be an ancient Synura lineage related to S. splendida in the section Curtispinae. Some morphological traits, including development of a keel or a labyrinth ribbing pattern on the scale, appeared once in evolution, whereas other structures, such as a hexagonal meshwork pattern, originated independently several times over geologic time. We further uncovered numerous construction principles governing scale morphology and evolution, as follows: (i) scale roundness and pore diameter decreased during evolution; (ii) elongated scales became strengthened by a higher number of struts or ribs; (iii) as a consequence of scale biogenesis, scales with spines possessed smaller basal holes than scales with a keel and; and (iv) the keel area was proportional to scale area, indicating its potential value in strengthening the scale against breakage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Jadrná
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Peter A Siver
- Department of Botany, Connecticut College, New Londo, 06320-4196, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
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Škaloud P, Škaloudová M, Jadrná I, Bestová H, Pusztai M, Kapustin D, Siver PA. Comparing Morphological and Molecular Estimates of Species Diversity in the Freshwater Genus Synura (Stramenopiles): A Model for Understanding Diversity of Eukaryotic Microorganisms. J Phycol 2020; 56:574-591. [PMID: 32065394 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We performed a comparison of molecular and morphological diversity in a freshwater colonial genus Synura (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles), using the island of Newfoundland (Canada) as a case study. We examined the morphological species diversity in collections from 79 localities, and compared these findings to diversity based on molecular characters for 150 strains isolated from the same sites. Of 27 species or species-level lineages identified, only one third was recorded by both molecular and morphological techniques, showing both approaches are complementary in estimating species diversity within this genus. Eight taxa, each representing young evolutionary lineages, were recovered only by sequencing of isolated colonies, whereas ten species were recovered only microscopically. Our complex investigation, involving both morphological and molecular examinations, indicates that our knowledge of Synura diversity is still poor, limited only to a few well-studied areas. We revealed considerable cryptic diversity within the core S. petersenii and S. leptorrhabda lineages. We further resolved the phylogenetic position of two previously described taxa, S. kristiansenii and S. petersenii f. praefracta, propose species-level status for S. petersenii f. praefracta, and describe three new species, S. vinlandica, S. fluviatilis, and S. cornuta. Our findings add to the growing body of literature detailing distribution patterns observed in the genus, ranging from cosmopolitan species, to highly restricted taxa, to species such as S. hibernica found along coastal regions on multiple continents. Finally, our study illustrates the usefulness of combining detailed morphological information with gene sequence data to examine species diversity within chrysophyte algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Škaloud
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Magda Škaloudová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Jadrná
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Bestová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pusztai
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Dmitry Kapustin
- Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanical Street 35, 127276, Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter A Siver
- Department of Botany, Connecticut College, New London, 06320-4196, Connecticut, USA
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