Polulichloris henanensis gen. et sp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), a novel subaerial coccoid green alga

Abstract

Coccoid green algae are abundant in subaerial habitats, but they are largely unexplored because of their morphological uniformity. Several new genus-level lineages have recently been described on the basis of molecular data. In this study, a coccoid green alga was isolated from surface soil in Zhoukou, Henan Province, China, and the cultured cells were described using light and electron microscopy. The ellipsoidal cell had smooth cell wall and parietal chloroplast with a pyrenoid surrounded by a starch envelope. Reproduction occurred by formation of 2‒16 autospores. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear 18S rDNA gene and the chloroplast ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL) indicated that this coccoid green alga represents a new lineage of the Watanabea clade (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Here, we describe this organism as a new genus and species, Polulichloris henanensis, gen. et sp. nov.