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Boedeker C, Wynne MJ, Zuccarello GC. Hidden diversity in high-latitude Southern Hemisphere environments: Reinstatement of the genus Rama and description of Vandenhoekia gen. nov. (Cladophoraceae, Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta), two highly variable genera. J Phycol 2023; 59:1284-1298. [PMID: 37795849 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13394] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
The continental coasts and remote islands in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere, including the subantarctic region, are characterized by many endemic species, high abundance of taxa, and intermediate levels of biodiversity. The macroalgal flora of these locations has received relatively little attention. Filamentous green algae are prolific in the intertidal of southern islands, but the taxonomy, distribution, and evolutionary history of these taxa are yet to be fully explored, mostly due to the difficulty of access to some of these locations. In this study, we examined specimens of the order Cladophorales from various locations in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere including the subantarctic (the Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Macquarie Island, and Kerguelen Islands), as well as mainland New Zealand, the Chatham Islands, Chile, and Tasmania. The analyses of the rDNA sequences of the samples revealed the existence of two new clades in a phylogeny of the Cladophoraceae. One of these clades is described as the novel genus Vandenhoekia gen. nov., which contains three species that are branched or unbranched. The amended genus Rama is reinstated to accommodate the other clade, and contains four species, including the Northern Hemisphere "Cladophora rupestris." In Rama both branched and unbranched morphologies are found. It is remarkable that gross morphology is not a predictor for generic affiliations in these algae. This study illustrates that much can still be learned about diversity in the Cladophorales and highlights the importance of new collections, especially in novel locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Boedeker
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Michael J Wynne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Herbarium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Giuseppe C Zuccarello
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Leliaert F, Kelly ELA, Janouškovec J, Fox MD, Johnson MD, Redfern FM, Eria T, Haas AF, Sala E, Sandin SA, Smith JE. Brilliantia kiribatiensis, a new genus and species of Cladophorales (Chlorophyta) from the remote coral reefs of the Southern Line Islands, Pacific Ocean. J Phycol 2022; 58:183-197. [PMID: 34897676 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13230] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The marine green alga Brilliantia kiribatiensis gen. et sp. nov. is described from samples collected from the coral reefs of the Southern Line Islands, Republic of Kiribati, Pacific Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the large- and small-subunit rDNA and the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region revealed that Brilliantia is a member of the Boodleaceae (Cladophorales), containing the genera Apjohnia, Boodlea, Cladophoropsis, Chamaedoris, Phyllodictyon, and Struvea. Within this clade it formed a distinct lineage, sister to Struvea elegans, but more distantly related to the bona fide Struvea species (including the type S. plumosa). Brilliantia differs from the other genera by having a very simple architecture forming upright, unbranched, single-celled filaments attached to the substratum by a rhizoidal mat. Cell division occurs by segregative cell division only at the onset of reproduction. Based on current sample collection, B. kiribatiensis seems to be largely restricted to the Southern Line Islands, although it was also observed on neighboring islands, including Orona Atoll in the Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, and the Rangiroa and Takapoto Atolls in the Tuamotus of French Polynesia. This discovery highlights the likeliness that there is still much biodiversity yet to be discovered from these remote and pristine reefs of the central Pacific.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily L A Kelly
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Jan Janouškovec
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, 92182, USA
- Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Novohradská 237, Třeboň, 37901, Czech Republic
| | - Michael D Fox
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maggie D Johnson
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farran M Redfern
- Environment and Conservation Division, Ministry of Environment Lands and Agriculture Developments, P.O. Box 234, Bikenibeu, Tarawa, Kiribati
| | - Taati Eria
- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development, PO Box 64, Bairiki, Tarawa, Kiribati
| | - Andreas F Haas
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg, Texel, 1790 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Enric Sala
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, District of Columbia, 20036, USA
| | - Stuart A Sandin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Jennifer E Smith
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
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Del Cortona A, Leliaert F, Bogaert KA, Turmel M, Boedeker C, Janouškovec J, Lopez-Bautista JM, Verbruggen H, Vandepoele K, De Clerck O. The Plastid Genome in Cladophorales Green Algae Is Encoded by Hairpin Chromosomes. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3771-3782.e6. [PMID: 29199074 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Virtually all plastid (chloroplast) genomes are circular double-stranded DNA molecules, typically between 100 and 200 kb in size and encoding circa 80-250 genes. Exceptions to this universal plastid genome architecture are very few and include the dinoflagellates, where genes are located on DNA minicircles. Here we report on the highly deviant chloroplast genome of Cladophorales green algae, which is entirely fragmented into hairpin chromosomes. Short- and long-read high-throughput sequencing of DNA and RNA demonstrated that the chloroplast genes of Boodlea composita are encoded on 1- to 7-kb DNA contigs with an exceptionally high GC content, each containing a long inverted repeat with one or two protein-coding genes and conserved non-coding regions putatively involved in replication and/or expression. We propose that these contigs correspond to linear single-stranded DNA molecules that fold onto themselves to form hairpin chromosomes. The Boodlea chloroplast genes are highly divergent from their corresponding orthologs, and display an alternative genetic code. The origin of this highly deviant chloroplast genome most likely occurred before the emergence of the Cladophorales, and coincided with an elevated transfer of chloroplast genes to the nucleus. A chloroplast genome that is composed only of linear DNA molecules is unprecedented among eukaryotes, and highlights unexpected variation in plastid genome architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Del Cortona
- Department of Biology, Phycology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Frederik Leliaert
- Department of Biology, Phycology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Botanic Garden Meise, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium
| | - Kenny A Bogaert
- Department of Biology, Phycology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Monique Turmel
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Christian Boedeker
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Kirk Building, Kelburn Parade, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Jan Janouškovec
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Juan M Lopez-Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35484-0345, USA
| | - Heroen Verbruggen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Professors Walk, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Department of Biology, Phycology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Taylor RL, Bailey JC, Freshwater DW. Systematics of Cladophora spp. (Chlorophyta) from North Carolina, USA, based upon morphology and DNA sequence data with a description of Cladophora subtilissima sp. nov. J Phycol 2017; 53:541-556. [PMID: 28078711 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Identification of Cladophora species is challenging due to conservation of gross morphology, few discrete autapomorphies, and environmental influences on morphology. Twelve species of marine Cladophora were reported from North Carolina waters. Cladophora specimens were collected from inshore and offshore marine waters for DNA sequence and morphological analyses. The nuclear-encoded rRNA internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) were sequenced for 105 specimens and used in molecular assisted identification. The ITS1 and ITS2 region was highly variable, and sequences were sorted into ITS Sets of Alignable Sequences (SASs). Sequencing of short hyper-variable ITS1 sections from Cladophora type specimens was used to positively identify species represented by SASs when the types were made available. Secondary structures for the ITS1 locus were also predicted for each specimen and compared to predicted structures from Cladophora sequences available in GenBank. Nine ITS SASs were identified and representative specimens chosen for phylogenetic analyses of 18S and 28S rRNA gene sequences to reveal relationships with other Cladophora species. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that marine Cladophorales were polyphyletic and separated into two clades, the Cladophora clade and the "Siphonocladales" clade. Morphological analyses were performed to assess the consistency of character states within species, and complement the DNA sequence analyses. These analyses revealed intra- and interspecific character state variation, and that combined molecular and morphological analyses were required for the identification of species. One new report, Cladophora dotyana, and one new species Cladophora subtilissima sp. nov., were revealed, and increased the biodiversity of North Carolina marine Cladophora to 14 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin L Taylor
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28403, USA
| | - Jeffrey Craig Bailey
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28403, USA
| | - David Wilson Freshwater
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28409, USA
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Littler MM, Littler DS. BLOOM OF THE GIANT ANADYOMENE GIGANTODICTYON SP. NOV. (ANADYOMENACEAE, CLADOPHORALES) FROM THE OUTER SLOPE (25-50 m) OF THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF(1). J Phycol 2012; 48:60-63. [PMID: 27009650 DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2011.01108.x] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A giant form of Anadyomene, most similar to Anadyomene pavonina (J. Agardh) Wille, a rare and diminutive alga endemic to Florida, appeared as up to 10 m long net-like strands covering 10%-80% of a 0.5 km region of the 25-50 m deep Belizean outer reef slope where none had been present up to 12 months earlier. This new species, described herein as Anadyomene gigantodictyon Littler et D. S. Littler, is characterized by a unistratose blade or cluster of blades formed by the polychotomous branching of uniseriate veins, with the interstices, or spaces between the veins, completely or partially filled with cells that are smaller than those of the veins, with cylindrical to ovate cells. The cells at mid-blade are 1.7-2.0 mm in length and 0.2-0.3 mm diameter; interstitial cells are parallel and not juxtaposed. All cells are joined in one plane and form species-specific, fan-shaped patterns with secondary interstitial cells loosely or tightly woven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Littler
- Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, MRC166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, District of Columbia 20013-7012, USA
| | - Diane S Littler
- Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, MRC166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, District of Columbia 20013-7012, USA
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