Article
Plant Sciences
Noriaki Namba, Takeshi Nakayama
Summary: This study identified a new genus and species of shell-attached green algae, Annulotesta cochlephila, growing on the shells of six species of door snails from nine localities in Japan. The algae exhibit specificity in both morphology and genetic sequences, forming a new clade in the family Kornmanniaceae.
JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emmanuel Nyongesa Waswa, Elijah Mbandi Mkala, Wyclif Ochieng Odago, Sara Getachew Amenu, Elizabeth Syowai Mutinda, Samuel Wamburu Muthui, Shi-Xiong Ding, Guang-Wan Hu, Qing-Feng Wang
Summary: The chloroplast genomes of Sambucus species showed high similarities in structure and gene coding, with specific sequence variations in certain regions that can be used as candidate barcodes for species discrimination. The study also confirmed the monophyly of Sambucus plants and revealed the separation of different populations. These findings suggest that the chloroplast genome of Sambucus plants is a valuable genetic resource for resolving taxonomic discrepancies and conducting molecular evolutionary studies.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Urania Lortou, Emmanuel Panteris, Spyros Gkelis
Summary: Using a polyphasic approach, this study investigated and characterized 18 Chlorophyta isolates. Results revealed the establishment of four new genera and five new species, with some of them being reported for the first time in specific aquatic environments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mary Ann C. Bautista, Yan Zheng, David E. Boufford, Zhangli Hu, Yunfei Deng, Tao Chen
Summary: Bougainvillea Comm. ex Juss., an important genus in the Nyctaginaceae, was studied for its taxonomy and phylogeny, and illustrations of distinguishing characteristics and a revised identification key were provided.
Article
Plant Sciences
Eugeny Boltenkov, Elena Artyukova, Anna Trias-Blasi
Summary: This study revised the taxonomy of Iris subser. Chrysographes through molecular and morphological studies, confirming its monophyletic nature and identifying four distinct lineages within the group. Additionally, it provided a revised taxonomic treatment and an identification key for the species in this group.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lan-Anh T. Tran, Christophe Vieira, Sophie Steinhagen, Christine A. Maggs, Masanori Hiraoka, Satoshi Shimada, Tu Van Nguyen, Olivier De Clerck, Frederik Leliaert
Summary: This study assessed different perspectives to establish a stable taxonomic framework for Ulva green seaweed, finding that species delimitation methods using the tufA gene were the most consistent. DNA-based species delimitation often disagreed with traditional morphology-based definitions, and biological species concepts were generally narrower than DNA-based delimitation. Although molecular markers improved our understanding of Ulva diversity, names associated with DNA sequences in public databases are unreliable, highlighting the need for further research in tropical regions.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Prateek Shetty, Attila Farkas, Bernadett Pap, Bettina Hupp, Vince Ordog, Tibor Biro, Torda Varga, Gergely Maroti
Summary: The study sequenced, assembled, and annotated the nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genomes of a unicellular green algal species of the Coelastrella genus, shedding light on interesting metabolic and sexual breeding features of this algae.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gregory A. Kolbasov, Alexandra S. Savchenko, Niklas Dreyer, Benny K. K. Chan, Jens T. Hoeg
Summary: This study uses scanning electron microscopy to describe the fine morphological details of the enigmatic y-larvae of Facetotecta. The authors propose the erection of several new genera based on the presence of different external structural differences in the larvae. This research emphasizes the morphological limits of the genus Hansenocaris and the bauplan of cyprydiform larvae of Facetotecta.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Oyvind Saetren Gulbrandsen, Ina Jungersen Andresen, Anders Kristian Krabberod, Jon Brate, Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi
Summary: The study restructures the classification of Ulvophyceae by identifying Dasycladales as closely related to Scotinosphaerales and Oltmannsiellopsidales. Contrary to previous studies, a close relationship between Dasycladales and a group with Cladophorales and Trentepohliales is not supported. Additionally, the research shows high and consistent statistical support for a sister relationship between Bryopsidales and Chlorophyceae.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Koh Yokouchi, Takeo Horiguchi
Summary: Paragymnodinium verecundum, a newly discovered dinoflagellate species, exhibits similarities with the known species P. stigmaticum in morphology and molecular analysis, but also shows distinct differences, placing it as a new species within the genus Paragymnodinium.
PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ziyoviddin Yusupov, Tao Deng, Sergei Volis, Furkat Khassanov, Dilmurod Makhmudjanov, Komiljon Tojibaev, Hang Sun
Summary: The study sequenced the complete chloroplast genomes of four central Asian species of Allium sect. Cepa, revealing two separate clades contradicting previous phylogenies. The discrepancies may be related to interspecific hybridization and chloroplast capture. The central Asian Allium species were not involved in the domestication of common onion.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christian Boedeker, Michael J. Wynne, Giuseppe C. Zuccarello
Summary: The macroalgal flora in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere, including the subantarctic region, has been relatively understudied. In this study, researchers examined specimens of filamentous green algae from various locations and identified two new clades within the Cladophorales order. The study highlights the importance of further exploration and new collections in novel locations to better understand the diversity of Cladophorales.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Feng Liu, Nansheng Chen, Hongshu Wang, Jiamin Li, Jing Wang, Fan Qu
Summary: In this study, the chloroplast genomes of Ulva species were sequenced and analyzed. The evolution of Ulva plastomes showed a strong selection pressure for compact genome organization and decreased GC composition. Plastome sequences, including genes, introns, and non-coding regions, exhibited a simultaneous decrease in GC content. The invasion of foreign DNA sequences played an important role in plastome rearrangement. These findings provide new insights into the evolution of plastomes in ecologically important Ulva seaweeds.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jun Wen, Deng-Feng Xie, Megan Price, Ting Ren, Yi-Qi Deng, Ling-Jian Gui, Xian-Lin Guo, Xing-Jin He
Summary: A study using genome skimming approach reconstructed the phylogeny of Apioideae, clarifying early divergences and proposing hypotheses about chloroplast capture events.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Miao Zhang, Xiao-Hui Zhang, Chang-Li Ge, Bing-Hua Chen
Summary: This article describes a new mycoheterotrophic species, Danxiaorchis mangdangshanensis, discovered in Fujian Province, China. The new species is similar to D. singchiana in morphology, but it has a less distinctive Y-shaped labellum callus with three auricles, elliptic-shaped pollinia, and lacks fine roots. Phylogenetic analyses based on nrITS + matK and plastomes show that D. mangdangshanensis is distinct from its congeners, D. singchiana and D. yangii.
Article
Microbiology
Jana Steinova, Hakon Holien, Alica Kosuthova, Pavel Skaloud
Summary: This study reports a case of a three-species complex of red-fruited Cladonia lichens where mycobiont markers failed to separate the species, but photobiont identity corresponded better with lichen phenotype. This could either be an unusual case of lichen photomorphs or an example of recent speciation, where phenotypic differentiation precedes the separation of molecular markers. The authors hypothesize that association with different photobionts, possibly related to habitat differentiation, may have triggered speciation in the mycobiont species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Veronica Malavasi, Michela Klimesova, Alena Lukesova, Pavel Skaloud
Summary: This paper presents a study on two new strains of algae belonging to the newly discovered genus and species Rindifilum ramosum gen. nov., sp. nov. They are part of the family Ctenocladiaceae and show distinct phylogenetic and morphological characteristics compared to previously sequenced strains.
CRYPTOGAMIE ALGOLOGIE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Christophe Vieira, Olivier De Clerck, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Sofie D'hondt, Laurent Millet, Myung Sook Kim, Claude Payri, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: In this study, we used an integrative taxonomic approach to re-evaluate the diversity of Lobophora. Our findings show that French Polynesia has at least 37 Lobophora species, with over half of them being endemic. French Polynesia shares a high biogeographic affinity with the Melanesian Islands and has connections to the western Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. We propose that Lobophora species in French Polynesia mainly evolved from colonizers originating from the Central Indo-Pacific, resulting in high endemism in remote archipelagos.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Razy Hoffman, Olivier De Clerck, Frederik Leliaert
Summary: We provide an account of two newly recorded non-indigenous tropical seaweed species, Siphonocladus tropicus and Caulerpa integerrima, found in the Levantine Mediterranean Sea. Morphological and molecular evidence supports the reports, which also indicate the possible origin and pathways of introduction for these species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Josef Elster, Claude-Eric Souquieres, Iva Jadrna, Pavel Skaloud, Janne E. Soreide, Jana Kviderova
Summary: The high Arctic Svalbard tidal flat ecosystem is being affected by global warming, leading to the potential invasion of additional species and changes in the environment. Increased human travel to Svalbard increases the possibility of species transportation. Anthropogenic activities related to global warming have facilitated the movement of organisms across previously isolated regions, contributing to biotic homogenization and extinctions. The study focused on the invasive alga Vaucheria aff. compacta in Adventfjorden tidal flat, providing information on its occurrence, ecological state, and future development. Using a drone mapping survey, the estimated area cover of V. aff. compacta was approximately 231.1 m2 across a tidal flat area of 2475 m2. The invasive V. aff. compacta is a cosmopolitan species widely distributed on coastal shores globally. It plays an important role in the Adventforden sea-land ecotone, stabilizing sediment, protecting the seashore ecosystem, and facilitating the greening of the Arctic due to global warming.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lan-Anh T Tran, Frederik Leliaert, Christophe Vieira, Tien V Tran, Tu V Nguyen, Tien D Dam, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: The species diversity of Ulva in Vietnam was investigated using genetic markers, resulting in the identification of 19 species. Seven species were recorded for the first time in Vietnam, and some genetic clusters could not be matched with species names. The study also found that the species composition in Vietnam is similar to adjacent countries and highlights the importance of molecular data in assessing Ulva diversity. Additionally, the research suggests that there may be undiscovered diversity in tropical regions.
PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Quinten Bafort, Tian Wu, Annelore Natran, Olivier De Clerck, Yves Van de Peer
Summary: The immediate effects of plant polyploidization contribute to polyploid establishment through morphological, physiological, developmental, and phenological changes. However, studies on the relationship between the immediate effects of whole-genome duplication and the environment are limited but suggest that stressful conditions can alter these effects. In this study, a common garden experiment on the greater duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza was conducted to test whether the immediate effects of WGD can facilitate tetraploid duckweed establishment under two environmental stressors. The results indicate that WGD can confer a fitness advantage under stressful conditions, and the effects of the environment on ploidy-induced changes are strain-specific.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ponprom Pisuttimarn, Ana Rita Giraldes Simoes, Fernanda Satori Petrongari, Rosangela Simao-Bianchini, Juliana Cruz Jardim Barbosa, Ine De Man, Luiz Henrique Martins Fonseca, Steven B. Janssens, Sujit B. Patil, Vinod B. Shimpale, Pimwadee Pornpongrungrueng, Frederik Leliaert, Lars W. Chatrou
Summary: Distimake vitifolius comb. nov. (Convolvulaceae) is reclassified from Camonea vitifolia based on molecular, morphological and palynological data. The occurrence of hexazonocolpate pollen in both Distimake and Camonea is found to be the result of convergent evolution. This reclassification demonstrates the importance of reciprocal interpretation of different sources of evidence in systematic studies.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Soria Delva, Camino Fernandez de la Hoz, Quinten Bafort, Sofie D'hondt, Soha Shabaka, Sarah Hamdy Rashedy, Alison R. Sherwood, Tamar Guy-Haim, Alvaro Israel, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: In this study, we investigate the introduction of Dictyota acutiloba in the Mediterranean Sea and provided an updated distribution of this species, which was believed to be limited to the Pacific Ocean. Genetic analysis and ecological niche models confirmed the presence of D. acutiloba in Indo-Pacific regions and along the Israeli coastline in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The close genetic relationship between introduced specimens and those from the Red Sea suggests an introduction through the Suez Canal. The further spread of D. acutiloba in the eastern Mediterranean is likely, with possible extension into the western Mediterranean Sea, depending on climate change scenarios.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jonas Blomme, Thomas Wichard, Thomas B. Jacobs, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: Green seaweeds, particularly Ulva species, have various morphologies and ecological roles, making them important for research in carbon assimilation, bacteria interactions, life cycle, and economic benefits. Ulva mutabilis/compressa is suggested as a model species and the article highlights available molecular data and tools for further research. Exciting developments in other Ulva species are also discussed.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Soria Delva, Bernard De Baets, Jan M. Baetens, Olivier De Clerck, Willem Stock
Summary: This study investigated whether the thermal tolerance of the brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma can be enhanced by adding bacteria from its natural environment. The results showed that bacterial supplementation did not affect the growth of the seaweed over the full thermal gradient, suggesting that ecological bacterial rescue may not play a role in mitigating the effects of ocean warming on this brown seaweed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Kathryn Lee Morrissey, Olivier De Clerck, Laura Airoldi
Summary: Warming and nutrient enrichment have significant effects on the physiology and survival of foundation species in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and the role of microbial communities have been overlooked in experiments. This study examined the impacts of air warming and nutrient enrichment on a seaweed species and its associated bacterial communities. The results showed that the two stressors had additive, antagonistic, and synergistic interactions on the abundance of bacterial taxa, and they mainly affected metabolic pathways associated with seaweed disease, degradation of cell-wall polymers, and algicidal processes. These findings highlight the dysregulation of seaweed microbiomes by warming and nutrient enrichment, providing a potential mechanism for their ongoing loss.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Christophe Vieira, Myung Sook Kim, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Claude Payri, Sofie D'Hondt, Olivier De Clerck, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: This study utilized DNA barcoding to revise the species diversity of French Polynesian marine flora, resulting in the identification of a total of 702 species, including 119 Chlorophyta, 169 Cyanobacteria, 92 Ochrophyta, 320 Rhodophyta, and 2 seagrass species. This research also provides a valuable DNA barcode reference library for identification purposes and future taxonomic and conservation studies.
