Systematic position of the enigmatic liverwort Mizutania (Mizutaniaceae, Marchantiophyta) inferred from molecular phylogenetic analyses

Abstract

Phylogenetic analyses of liverworts using chloroplast rbcL and rps4 sequences were performed with special reference to the enigmatic thalloid liverwort, Mizutania riccardioides. The results showed that Mizutania is nested within leafy liverwort family Calypogeiaceae (subclass Jungermanniidae), thereby refuting the traditional interpretation that Mizutania is a member of the simple thalloid liverworts (subclass Metzgeriidae) related to Aneuraceae. Male plants with three ranked bracts, which are newly discovered in this study, also show a close morphological affinity to those of leafy liverworts. Parallel evolution of the flattened gametophyte seems to have occurred sporadically in the Jungermanniidae in association with adaptation to prostrate growth on the ground or on living leaves. The unistratose thalloid features of Mizutania are interpreted as an extremely reduced or highly specialized form of a creeping leafy liverwort. The rudimentary sexual branches which develop on the margins of the thallus are similar in many characteristics to those of Calypogeiaceae. We reduce the monotypic family Mizutaniaceae to a synonym of Calypogeiaceae.

On the taxonomic status of the enigmatic Phycolepidoziaceae (Marchantiophyta: Jungermanniales) with description of a new species,Phycolepidozia indica

“…Similarly, the odd thalloid genus Mizutania Furuki & Z.Iwats. resembling members of Aneuraceae but with leafy bracts, was recently shown to be a member of the leafy liverwort family Calypogeiaceae (Masuzaki & al., 2010).…”

Striking autapomorphic evolution inPhysothecaJ.J.Engel & Gradst. (Marchantiophyta: Lophocoleaceae) blurred its actual relationships withLeptoscyphusMitt.

“…Goebel (Metzgeriopsidaceae) and Mizutania Furuki & Iwatsuki (Mizutaniaceae), both from Southeast Asia, which proved to be members of leafy liverwort families, respectively Lejeuneaceae [genus Cololejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn.] and Calypogeiaceae (Gradstein et al, 2006;Masuzaki et al, 2010). Examples from Lophocoleaceae include the temperate southern-hemispheric genera Pachyglossa Herzog & Grolle, Amphilophocolea R.M.…”

“…It is precisely those stenotypic genera that have recently been shown to be vulnerable to phylogenetic testing since their suites of unique morphologies do not appear to be ancestral but, in contrast, to be recently derived (e.g. Masuzaki et al, 2010;Fuselier et al, 2011). A more complete taxonomic reassessment of those genera in the context of the 'Liverwort Tree of Life' project (http://www.biology.duke.edu/bryology.LiTol/) will certainly offer the appropriate framework to propose a revised classification of liverworts and allow a more accurate assessment of character evolution and biogeographic patterns in the group.…”

Expanding knowledge of the Rubisco kinetics variability in plant species: environmental and evolutionary trends

“…; Masuzaki et al . ) for all species with exception of two eucalypts ( E. moorei and E. neglecta ), which were substituted in the further phylogenetic analysis by the rbc L sequences from the related species, E. grandis W. Hill and E. globulus Labill., obtained from GenBank. For PCR amplification the BioMix Red (Bioline, London, UK) was used with the following PCR conditions: one cycle of 95 °C, 2 min, 55 °C, 30 s, 72 °C, 4 min followed by 36 cycles of 93 °C, 30 s, 53 °C, 30 s, 72 °C, 3.5 min.…”

“…Genomic DNA was extracted from the powdered tissue using DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) according to the manufacturer's protocol. The chloroplast gene rbcL, which encodes the large subunit of Rubisco, was amplified and sequenced using primers described (Savolainen et al 2000;Cuénoud et al 2002;Tamura et al 2004;Masuzaki et al 2010) for all species with exception of two eucalypts (E. moorei and E. neglecta), which were substituted in the further phylogenetic analysis by the rbcL sequences from the related species, E. grandis W. Hill and E. globulus Labill., obtained from GenBank. For PCR amplification the BioMix Red (Bioline, London, UK) was used with the following PCR conditions: one cycle of 95°C, 2 min, 55°C, 30 s, 72°C, 4 min followed by 36 cycles of 93°C, 30 s, 53°C, 30 s, 72°C, 3.5 min.…”