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Pino-Bodas R, Blázquez M, de los Ríos A, Pérez-Ortega S. Myrmecia, Not Asterochloris, Is the Main Photobiont of Cladonia subturgida ( Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes). J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1160. [PMID: 38132761 PMCID: PMC10744234 DOI: 10.3390/jof9121160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study explores the diversity of photobionts associated with the Mediterranean lichen-forming fungus Cladonia subturgida. For this purpose, we sequenced the whole ITS rDNA region by Sanger using a metabarcoding method for ITS2. A total of 41 specimens from Greece, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain were studied. Additionally, two specimens from Spain were used to generate four cultures. Our molecular studies showed that the genus Myrmecia is the main photobiont of C. subturgida throughout its geographic distribution. This result contrasts with previous studies, which indicated that the main photobiont for most Cladonia species is Asterochloris. The identity of Myrmecia was also confirmed by ultrastructural studies of photobionts within the lichen thalli and cultures. Photobiont cells showed a parietal chloroplast lacking a pyrenoid, which characterizes the species in this genus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate hidden diversity within this genus. The results of amplicon sequencing showed the presence of multiple ASVs in 58.3% of the specimens studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Pino-Bodas
- Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Miguel Blázquez
- Department of Mycology, Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), 28014 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-O.)
| | | | - Sergio Pérez-Ortega
- Department of Mycology, Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), 28014 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-O.)
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He Y, Ma S, Yang Q, Lai H, Zhang J. Characterization of the mitochondrial genome of Chlorolobion braunii ITBB-AG6, an azolla-associated green alga isolated from sanitary sewage. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2023; 8:826-830. [PMID: 37545555 PMCID: PMC10402853 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2023.2241573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphaeropleales have the characteristics of rapid growth, high oil content, and efficient removal rates of nitrogen and phosphorus in sewage waters, and is potentially valuable in biodiesel production and environmental remediation. In this study, we isolated a strain of Sphaeropleales, Chlorolobion braunii strain ITBB-AG6 from an azolla community in a sewage pond. Its mitochondrial genome contains 110,124 bp and harbors at least 40 genes, including 15 protein-coding genes, 20 tRNA genes, and three rRNA genes. The protein-coding genes include two for ATP synthases, seven for NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductases (nad), three for cytochrome c oxidase subunits (coxs), and one for cytochrome b (cob). Transfer RNA genes for 18 amino acids were identified, in which the tRNA genes for leucine and serine are doubled, but the tRNA genes for threonine and valine are not annotated. Phylogenetic analysis using the mitochondrial genomes of seven families of Sphaeropleales indicated that ITBB-AG6 is closely related to Monoraphidium neglectum, and falls in the family Selenastraceae with 100% bootstrap support. Two species in the family Neochloridaceae are separated by a species in Hydrodictyaceae, indicating a polyphyletic nature. These findings revealed the complicated phylogenetic relationships of the Sphaeropleales and the necessity of genome sequences in the taxonomy of microalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiliang He
- College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Shuai Ma
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hainan Key Laboratory of Microbiological Resources, Hainan Bioenergy Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Yang
- College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Huanggui Lai
- College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jiaming Zhang
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hainan Key Laboratory of Microbiological Resources, Hainan Bioenergy Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
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Sanders WB, Brisky BJ. Airborne ascospore discharge with co-dispersal of attached epihymenial algae in some foliicolous lichens. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:58-66. [PMID: 34636414 PMCID: PMC9303868 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Lichen-forming fungi that colonize leaf surfaces must find a compatible algal symbiont, establish lichen symbiosis, and reproduce within the limited life span of their substratum. Many produce specialized asexual propagules that appear to be dispersed by rain and runoff currents, but less is known about dispersal of their meiotic ascospores. In some taxa, a layer of algal symbionts covers the hymenial surface of the apothecia, where asci discharge their ascospores. We examined the untested hypothesis that their ascospores are ejected into air currents and carry with them algal symbionts from the epihymenial layer for subsequent lichenization. METHODS Leaves bearing the lichens Calopadia puiggarii, Sporopodium marginatum (Pilocarpaceae), and Gyalectidium viride (Gomphillaceae) were collected in southern Florida. The latter two species have epihymenial algal layers. Leaf fragments with apotheciate thalli were affixed in petri dishes, with glass cover slips attached inside the lid over the thalli. Subsequent discharge of ascospores and any co-dispersed algae was evaluated with light microscopy. RESULTS All three species discharged ascospores aerially. Discharged ascospores were frequently surrounded by a halo-like sheath of transparent material. In the two species with an epihymenial algal layer, most dispersing ascospores (>90%) co-transported algal cells attached to the spore sheath or wall. CONCLUSIONS While water may be the usual vector for their asexual propagules, foliicolous lichen-forming fungi make use of air currents to disperse their ascospores. The epihymenial algal layer represents an adaptation for efficient co-dispersal of the algal symbiont with the next genetic generation of the fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B. Sanders
- Department of Biological SciencesFlorida Gulf Coast University10501 FGCU Blvd. SouthFt. MyersFL33965‐6565USA
| | - Benjamin J. Brisky
- Department of Biological SciencesFlorida Gulf Coast University10501 FGCU Blvd. SouthFt. MyersFL33965‐6565USA
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Lindgren H, Moncada B, Lücking R, Magain N, Simon A, Goffinet B, Sérusiaux E, Nelsen MP, Mercado-Díaz JA, Widhelm TJ, Lumbsch HT. Cophylogenetic patterns in algal symbionts correlate with repeated symbiont switches during diversification and geographic expansion of lichen-forming fungi in the genus Sticta (Ascomycota, Peltigeraceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 150:106860. [PMID: 32473336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Species in the fungal genus Sticta form symbiotic associations primarily with either green algae or cyanobacteria, but tripartite associations or photosymbiodemes involving both types of photobionts occur in some species. Sticta is known to associate with green algae in the genus Symbiochloris. However, previous studies have shown that algae from other genera, such as Heveochlorella, may also be suitable partners for Sticta. We examined the diversity of green algal partners in the genus Sticta and assessed the patterns of association between the host fungus and its algal symbiont. We used multi-locus sequence data from multiple individuals collected in Australia, Cuba, Madagascar, Mauritius, New Zealand, Reunion and South America to infer phylogenies for fungal and algal partners and performed tests of congruence to assess coevolution between the partners. In addition, event-based methods were implemented to examine which cophylogenetic processes have led to the observed association patterns in Sticta and its green algal symbionts. Our results show that in addition to Symbiochloris, Sticta associates with green algae from the genera Chloroidium, Coccomyxa, Elliptochloris and Heveochlorella, the latter being the most common algal symbiont associated with Sticta in this study. Geography plays a strong role in shaping fungal-algal association patterns in Sticta as mycobionts associate with different algal lineages in different geographic locations. While fungal and algal phylogenies were mostly congruent, event-based methods did not find any evidence for cospeciation between the partners. Instead, the association patterns observed in Sticta and associated algae, were largely explained by other cophylogenetic events such as host-switches, losses of symbiont and failure of the symbiont to diverge with its host. Our results also show that tripartite associations with green algae evolved multiple times in Sticta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Lindgren
- Science and Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, United States.
| | - Bibiana Moncada
- Licenciatura en Biología, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Cra. 4 No. 26D-54, Torre de Laboratorios, Herbario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Robert Lücking
- Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Koenigin-Luise-Strasse 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolas Magain
- Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B22, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0338, USA
| | - Antoine Simon
- Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B22, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Bernard Goffinet
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA
| | - Emmanuël Sérusiaux
- Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B22, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Matthew P Nelsen
- Science and Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
| | - Joel A Mercado-Díaz
- Science and Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, United States; Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57(th) street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Todd J Widhelm
- Science and Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
| | - H Thorsten Lumbsch
- Science and Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
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Nelsen MP, Lücking R, Boyce CK, Lumbsch HT, Ree RH. No support for the emergence of lichens prior to the evolution of vascular plants. GEOBIOLOGY 2020; 18:3-13. [PMID: 31729136 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The early-successional status of lichens in modern terrestrial ecosystems, together with the role lichen-mediated weathering plays in the carbon cycle, have contributed to the long and widely held assumption that lichens occupied early terrestrial ecosystems prior to the evolution of vascular plants and drove global change during this time. Their poor preservation potential and the classification of ambiguous fossils as lichens or other fungal-algal associations have further reinforced this view. As unambiguous fossil data are lacking to demonstrate the presence of lichens prior to vascular plants, we utilize an alternate approach to assess their historic presence in early terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we analyze new time-calibrated phylogenies of ascomycete fungi and chlorophytan algae, that intensively sample lineages with lichen symbionts. Age estimates for several interacting clades show broad congruence and demonstrate that fungal origins of lichenization postdate the earliest tracheophytes. Coupled with the absence of unambiguous fossil data, our work finds no support for lichens having mediated global change during the Neoproterozoic-early Paleozoic prior to vascular plants. We conclude by discussing our findings in the context of Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic terrestrial ecosystem evolution and the paleoecological context in which vascular plants evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Nelsen
- Department of Science and Education, The Field Museum, Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert Lücking
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - C Kevin Boyce
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - H Thorsten Lumbsch
- Department of Science and Education, The Field Museum, Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard H Ree
- Department of Science and Education, The Field Museum, Integrative Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Vančurová L, Muggia L, Peksa O, Řídká T, Škaloud P. The complexity of symbiotic interactions influences the ecological amplitude of the host: A case study in Stereocaulon (lichenized Ascomycota). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3016-3033. [PMID: 29900606 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Symbiosis plays a fundamental role in nature. Lichens are among the best known, globally distributed symbiotic systems whose ecology is shaped by the requirements of all symbionts forming the holobiont. The widespread lichen-forming fungal genus Stereocaulon provides a suitable model to study the ecology of microscopic green algal symbionts (i.e., phycobionts) within the lichen symbiosis. We analysed 282 Stereocaulon specimens, collected in diverse habitats worldwide, using the algal ITS rDNA and actin gene sequences and fungal ITS rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a great diversity among the predominant phycobionts. The algal genus Asterochloris (Trebouxiophyceae) was recovered in most sampled thalli, but two additional genera, Vulcanochloris and Chloroidium, were also found. We used variation-partitioning analyses to investigate the effects of climatic conditions, substrate/habitat characteristic, spatial distribution and mycobionts on phycobiont distribution. Based on an analogy, we examined the effects of climate, substrate/habitat, spatial distribution and phycobionts on mycobiont distribution. According to our analyses, the distribution of phycobionts is primarily driven by mycobionts and vice versa. Specificity and selectivity of both partners, as well as their ecological requirements and the width of their niches, vary significantly among the species-level lineages. We demonstrated that species-level lineages, which accept more symbiotic partners, have wider climatic niches, overlapping with the niches of their partners. Furthermore, the survival of lichens on substrates with high concentrations of heavy metals appears to be supported by their association with toxicity-tolerant phycobionts. In general, low specificity towards phycobionts allows the host to associate with ecologically diversified algae, thereby broadening its ecological amplitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Vančurová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ondřej Peksa
- The West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen, Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Řídká
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Škaloud
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Brewer TE, Fierer N. Tales from the tomb: the microbial ecology of exposed rock surfaces. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:958-970. [PMID: 29235707 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although a broad diversity of eukaryotic and bacterial taxa reside on rock surfaces where they can influence the weathering of rocks and minerals, these communities and their contributions to mineral weathering remain poorly resolved. To build a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity, ecology and potential functional attributes of microbial communities living on rock, we sampled 149 tombstones across three continents and analysed their bacterial and eukaryotic communities via marker gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We found that geographic location and climate were important factors structuring the composition of these communities. Moreover, the tombstone-associated microbial communities varied as a function of rock type, with granite and limestone tombstones from the same cemeteries harbouring taxonomically distinct microbial communities. The granite and limestone-associated communities also had distinct functional attributes, with granite-associated bacteria having more genes linked to acid tolerance and chemotaxis, while bacteria on limestone were more likely to be lichen associated and have genes involved in photosynthesis and radiation resistance. Together these results indicate that rock-dwelling microbes exhibit adaptations to survive the stresses of the rock surface, differ based on location, climate and rock type, and seem pre-disposed to different ecological strategies (symbiotic versus free-living lifestyles) depending on the rock type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess E Brewer
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Departments of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
| | - Noah Fierer
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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Zahradníková M, Andersen HL, Tønsberg T, Beck A. Molecular Evidence of Apatococcus, including A. fuscideae sp. nov., as Photobiont in the Genus Fuscidea. Protist 2017; 168:425-438. [PMID: 28803921 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge of the taxonomy and classification of algae (including lichenized) has recently increased rapidly, but there are still many gaps. We aimed to 1) identify the Fuscidea photobionts by locating their taxonomic positions in the green algal classification, and 2) to resolve their interspecific relationships. The lichenized algae were examined based on morphological observations of axenic isolates as well as molecular studies of 18S and ITS nrDNA sequences. Analysis of the secondary structure of the ITS2 operon complemented these investigations. We found that the Fuscidea photobionts were placed within the Trebouxiophyceae, related to Apatococcus lobatus (Chodat) J.B.Petersen. Phylogenetic analyses revealed one clade nesting free-living and lichenized Apatococcus F.Brand which comprised six different lineages in the ITS phylogeny. The lichenized alga associated with the investigated Fuscidea species, except for F. lightfootii (Sm.) Coppins & James, represents a hitherto unknown lineage within Apatococcus. Fuscidea lightfootii was lichenized with a separate lineage within Apatococcus, together with free-living members, which were already known from Genbank sequences. All retrieved groups within Apatococcus were rather different in their ITS sequences, thus most likely corresponding to different species. The most common photobiont of Fuscidea species, Apatococcus fuscideae A.Beck & Zahradn., was described as new to science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Zahradníková
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Heidi L Andersen
- The Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Department of Natural History, University Museum, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Tor Tønsberg
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, University of Bergen, Allégaten 41, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Andreas Beck
- Department of Lichenology and Bryology, Botanische Staatssammlung München, 80638 München, Germany
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