The blood alga: phylogeny ofHaematococcus(Chlorophyceae) inferred from ribosomal RNA gene sequence data

Abstract

The status of the green algal genera Haematococcus and Stephanosphaera has been a source of debate among algal systematists. A phylogenetic alliance between Haematococcus (sensu lato) and the colonial Stephanosphaera was affirmed by earlier molecular phylogenetic investigations. Although the data suggested that the genus Haematococcus may not be a monophyletic group, taxon sampling limited the scope of any potential taxonomic revision. Results from new molecular phylogenetic analyses of data from the 18S and 26S rRNA genes support the establishment of a separate genus, Balticola, as originally proposed by Droop in 1956. Haematococcus remains as a valid genus, with H. pluvialis as its only member. The monotypic status of H. pluvialis is supported both by molecular phylogenetic analyses of the ribosomal RNA genes and assessments of molecular evolution in the ITS2 sequences of H. pluvialis strains. The near-complete absence of compensatory base changes in a sequencestructure analysis of the highly variable ITS2 gene from more than 40 geographically diverse isolates of H. pluvialis corroborates the unity of the species inferred from molecular phylogenetic analyses of 18S and 26S rRNA gene sequence data.

Taxonomic revision of oil‐producing green algae, Chlorococcum oleofaciens (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae), and its relatives

“…According to the 18S r RNA gene phylogeny, E. carotinosa does not belong to Stephanosphaerinia but to Chlorogonia (Buchheim et al. ), while also being distantly related to M. rubrioleum in Stephanosphaerinia (Fig. ).…”

Assessing intragenomic variation of the internal transcribed spacer two: Adapting the Illumina metagenomics protocol

“…Amplicons targeting the transcribed spacer were generated by PCR [35] and then purified using illustra™ GFX™ PCR DNA and Gel Band Purification Kits (GE Healthcare, Buckinghamshire, UK) for use in cloning reactions. Cloning was carried out using a TOPO TA Cloning Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA).…”

Flagellate Green Algae

“…The protoplast is enclosed by a swollen, gelatinous cell wall and produces fine protoplasmic strands that extend through the wall. Although no molecular phylogenetic study has been performed with "H." carocellus, Buchheim et al (2013) suspected that "H." carocellus, which has a single pyrenoid in the chloroplast, belongs to the genus Balticola, but "H." carocellus has only apical two contractile vacuoles and is clearly distinguished from Balticola, which has several irregularly distributed contractile vacuoles. Asexual reproduction is by zoospore formation within the mother cell wall.…”