Co-dispersal of symbionts in the lichen Cladonia stellaris inferred from genomic data

Alonso-García, Marta; Pino-Bodas, Raquel; Villarreal, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2022.101165

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…However, caution should be exercised since, as indicated by Moya et al [55], the Myrmecia photobionts are still poorly studied, and this lineage could establish symbiosis with other lichen-forming fungi. Some of the known cases of reciprocal specificity or high specificity have been associated with the asexual mode of reproduction [113], including the genus Cladonia [35,114,115]. This explanation could be valid to explain the high specificity of C. subturgida, as its predominant reproduction is asexual by dispersal of thallus fragments [47].…”

Section: Pattern Of Genetic Diversity Of Photobionts Associated With ...mentioning

confidence: 93%

Myrmecia, Not Asterochloris, Is the Main Photobiont of Cladonia subturgida (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes)

Pino-Bodas,

Blázquez,

de los Ríos

et al. 2023

JoF

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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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Section: Pattern Of Genetic Diversity Of Photobionts Associated With ...mentioning

confidence: 93%

Myrmecia, Not Asterochloris, Is the Main Photobiont of Cladonia subturgida (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes)

Pino-Bodas,

Blázquez,

de los Ríos

et al. 2023

JoF

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“…1 a,b) in late summer (August 21st 2022) and in the following late, but dry and sunny spring few weeks after snowmelt (June 19th 2023). While the ecorticate usnic Cladonia , associated with the photobiont Asterochloris (Alonso-García et al 2022 ), has thin and hollow cylindrical branches forming a dense canopy of interwoven branches, the corticate Cetraria , associated with various Trebouxia lineages (Onut-Brannstrom et al 2018 ), has fewer but larger and flattened branches with more horizontally oriented lobe tips. The outer branch segments of Cetraria often exhibit a distinct contrast between a dark, melanic upper side and a shaded paler lower side.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-photochemical quenching may contribute to the dominance of the pale mat-forming lichen Cladonia stellaris over the sympatric melanic Cetraria islandica

Solhaug,

Eiterjord,

Løken

et al. 2024

Oecologia

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The mat-forming fruticose lichens Cladonia stellaris and Cetraria islandica frequently co-occur on soils in sun-exposed boreal, subarctic, and alpine ecosystems. While the dominant reindeer lichen Cladonia lacks a cortex but produces the light-reflecting pale pigment usnic acid on its surface, the common but patchier Cetraria has a firm cortex sealed by the light-absorbing pigment melanin. By measuring reflectance spectra, high-light tolerance, photosynthetic responses, and chlorophyll fluorescence in sympatric populations of these lichens differing in fungal pigments, we aimed to study how they cope with high light while hydrated. Specimens of the two species tolerated high light equally well but with different protective mechanisms. The mycobiont of the melanic species efficiently absorbed excess light, consistent with a lower need for its photobiont to protect itself by non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). By contrast, usnic acid screened light at 450–700 nm by reflectance and absorbed shorter wavelengths. The ecorticate usnic species with less efficient fungal light screening exhibited a consistently lower light compensation point and higher CO2 uptake rates than the melanic lichen. In both species, steady state NPQ rapidly increased at increasing light with no signs of light saturation. To compensate for less internal shading causing light fluctuations with a larger amplitude, the usnic lichen photobiont adjusted to changing light by faster induction and faster relaxation of NPQ rapidly transforming excess excitation energy to less damaging heat. The high and flexible NPQ tracking fluctuations in solar radiation probably contributes to the strong dominance of the usnic mat-forming Cladonia in open lichen-dominated heaths.

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Co-dispersal of symbionts in the lichen Cladonia stellaris inferred from genomic data

Cited by 2 publications

References 73 publications

Myrmecia, Not Asterochloris, Is the Main Photobiont of Cladonia subturgida (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes)

Myrmecia, Not Asterochloris, Is the Main Photobiont of Cladonia subturgida (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes)

Non-photochemical quenching may contribute to the dominance of the pale mat-forming lichen Cladonia stellaris over the sympatric melanic Cetraria islandica

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