Mycobiont-photobiont interactions of the lichen Cetraria aculeata in high alpine regions of East Africa and South America

Lutsak, Tetiana; Fernández-Mendoza, Fernando; Kirika, Paul M.; Wondafrash, Melaku; Printzen, Christian

doi:10.1007/s13199-015-0351-1

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…This may indicate that regional lichen guilds tend to evolve around photobiont variants that are best adapted to local conditions ( Rikkinen et al, 2002 ; Peksa and Skaloud, 2011 ; Piercey-Normore and Deduke, 2011 ; Onuţ-Brännström et al, 2018 ). The ability to select and switch between several symbionts can potentially promote ecological tolerance and evolutionary divergence ( Muggia et al, 2014 ; Leavitt et al, 2015 ; Lutsak et al, 2016 ), and several studies have demonstrated examples of high reciprocal specificity between specific pairs of symbiont variants, often consistent over long geographical distances ( Paulsrud et al, 2000 ; Otálora et al, 2010 ; Fedrowitz et al, 2011 , 2012 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot

et al. 2021

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Interactions within lichen communities include, in addition to close mutualistic associations between the main partners of specific lichen symbioses, also more elusive relationships between members of a wider symbiotic community. Here, we analyze association patterns of cyanolichen symbionts in the tropical montane forests of Taita Hills, southern Kenya, which is part of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. The cyanolichen specimens analyzed represent 74 mycobiont taxa within the order Peltigerales (Ascomycota), associating with 115 different variants of the photobionts genus Nostoc (Cyanobacteria). Our analysis demonstrates wide sharing of photobionts and reveals the presence of several photobiont-mediated lichen guilds. Over half of all mycobionts share photobionts with other fungal species, often from different genera or even families, while some others are strict specialists and exclusively associate with a single photobiont variant. The most extensive symbiont network involves 24 different fungal species from five genera associating with 38 Nostoc photobionts. The Nostoc photobionts belong to two main groups, the Nephroma-type Nostoc and the Collema/Peltigera-type Nostoc, and nearly all mycobionts associate only with variants of one group. Among the mycobionts, species that produce cephalodia and those without symbiotic propagules tend to be most promiscuous in photobiont choice. The extent of photobiont sharing and the structure of interaction networks differ dramatically between the two major photobiont-mediated guilds, being both more prevalent and nested among Nephroma guild fungi and more compartmentalized among Peltigera guild fungi. This presumably reflects differences in the ecological characteristics and/or requirements of the two main groups of photobionts. The same two groups of Nostoc have previously been identified from many lichens in various lichen-rich ecosystems in different parts of the world, indicating that photobiont sharing between fungal species is an integral part of lichen ecology globally. In many cases, symbiotically dispersing lichens can facilitate the dispersal of sexually reproducing species, promoting establishment and adaptation into new and marginal habitats and thus driving evolutionary diversification.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot

et al. 2021

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“…Previous studies on this group have only considered morphological and ecological differences in relation to chemical variability (Nadyeina et al 2013). The C. aculeata group is particularly well suited as a model group for this kind of study because it is widely distributed along a broad ecological gradient and its population genetics has been studied intensively in recent years (Fernández-Mendoza et al 2011; Domaschke et al 2012; Pérez-Ortega et al 2012; Fernández-Mendoza & Printzen 2013; Nadyeina et al 2013; Printzen et al 2013; Lutsak et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the correlation between norstictic acid content and species evolution in theCetraria aculeatagroup in Europe

Lutsak¹,

Fernández-Mendoza

Nadyeina³

et al. 2017

The Lichenologist

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Most lichen-forming fungi are characterized by the production of secondary metabolites. Differences in metabolite patterns have frequently served to distinguish lichen taxa with subsequent controversies about the rank of chemical variants (chemotype, variety, subspecies or species). Using a model system, we investigate whether production of norstictic acid within a group of lichenized ascomycetes is correlated with phylogenetic patterns, population differentiation or single and multi-locus haplotypes. Our study is based on DNA sequences of three gene loci (ITS, GPD, mtLSU) together with HPLC (311) and TLC (594) data from a total of 594 samples of three closely related fruticose lichens: Cetraria aculeata and C. muricata without norstictic acid, and C. steppae with norstictic acid. In nature, C. aculeata and C. steppae often occur together and the status of C. steppae as a separate species has been questioned. Our results show geographical but no phylogenetic structure of norstictic acid production and few significant associations between genetic clusters and the occurrence of norstictic acid. All frequently distributed haplotypes display differences in norstictic acid content. The few associations at the population level are most likely a by-product of spatial genetic structure, because norstictic acid was expressed only in individuals from the Mediterranean-Central Asian part of the study area. We conclude that the production of norstictic acid in the C. aculeata group is most likely triggered by the environment (climate, edaphic factors, associated symbionts). Cetraria steppae might be a different evolutionary lineage restricted to warm temperate regions but it is not uniquely characterized by the presence of norstictic acid.

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“…For example, if macrolichens such as Thamnolia and Cetraria contain heterogeneous intrathalline photobiont populations, approaches that reveal only the most abundant genotype (c.f. refs 4 , 31 , 39 , 67 ) can give misleading results, e.g., infer photobiont switching and replacement in cases where instead dynamic fluctuations of photobiont within lichen thalli is taking place.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharing of photobionts in sympatric populations of Thamnolia and Cetraria lichens: evidence from high-throughput sequencing

Onuţ-Brännström

Benjamin

Scofield

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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In this study, we explored the diversity of green algal symbionts (photobionts) in sympatric populations of the cosmopolitan lichen-forming fungi Thamnolia and Cetraria. We sequenced with both Sanger and Ion Torrent High-Throughput Sequencing technologies the photobiont ITS-region of 30 lichen thalli from two islands: Iceland and Öland. While Sanger recovered just one photobiont genotype from each thallus, the Ion Torrent data recovered 10–18 OTUs for each pool of 5 lichen thalli, suggesting that individual lichens can contain heterogeneous photobiont populations. Both methods showed evidence for photobiont sharing between Thamnolia and Cetraria on Iceland. In contrast, our data suggest that on Öland the two mycobionts associate with distinct photobiont communities, with few shared OTUs revealed by Ion Torrent sequencing. Furthermore, by comparing our sequences with public data, we identified closely related photobionts from geographically distant localities. Taken together, we suggest that the photobiont composition in Thamnolia and Cetraria results from both photobiont-mycobiont codispersal and local acquisition during mycobiont establishment and/or lichen growth. We hypothesize that this is a successful strategy for lichens to be flexible in the use of the most adapted photobiont for the environment.

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Mycobiont-photobiont interactions of the lichen Cetraria aculeata in high alpine regions of East Africa and South America

Cited by 19 publications

References 30 publications

Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot

Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot

Testing the correlation between norstictic acid content and species evolution in theCetraria aculeatagroup in Europe

Sharing of photobionts in sympatric populations of Thamnolia and Cetraria lichens: evidence from high-throughput sequencing

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