Abstract
BackgroundTerrestrial, freshwater and marine green algae constitute the large and morphologically diverse phylum of Chlorophyta, which gave rise to the core chlorophytes. Chlorophyta are abundant and diverse in freshwater environments where sometimes they form nuisance blooms under eutrophication conditions. The phylogenetic relationships among core chlorophyte clades (Chlorodendrophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae and Chlorophyceae), are of particular interest as it is a species-rich phylum with ecological importance worldwide, but are still poorly understood. In the Mediterranean ecoregion, data on molecular characterization of eukaryotic microalgae strains are limited and current knowledge is based on ecological studies of natural populations. In the present study we report the isolation and characterization of 11 green microalgae strains from Greece contributing more information for the taxonomy of Chlorophyta. The study combined morphological and molecular data.ResultsPhylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the large subunit of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene revealed eight taxa. Eleven green algae strains were classified in four orders (Sphaeropleales, Chlorellales, Chlamydomonadales and Chaetophorales) and were represented by four genera; one strain was not assigned to any genus. Most strains (six) were classified to the genus Desmodesmus, two strains to genus Chlorella, one to genus Spongiosarcinopsis and one filamentous strain to genus Uronema. One strain is placed in a separate independent branch within the Chlamydomonadales and deserves further research.ConclusionsOur study reports, for the first time, the presence of Uronema in an aquatic environment up to 40 °C and reveals new diversity within the Chlamydomonadales. The results from the ITS region and the rbcL gene corroborated those obtained from 18S rRNA without providing further information or resolving the phylogenetic relationships within certain genera, due to the limited number of ITS and rbcL sequences available. The comparison of molecular and morphological data showed that they were congruent. Cosmopolitan genera with high worldwide distribution inhabit Greek freshwaters.
Highlights
Terrestrial, freshwater and marine green algae constitute the large and morphologically diverse phylum of Chlorophyta, which gave rise to the core chlorophytes
This study investigates the diversity of green algae (Chlorophyta) strains isolated from freshwaters in Greece using a polyphasic approach including morphology, 18S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) phylogeny
According to morphology (Table 2) and phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA (Fig. 3), the 18S–28S ITS region (Fig. 4) and rbcL gene (Fig. 5), the isolated strains were placed into clades within the Chlorophyceae and Trebouxiophyceae
Summary
Terrestrial, freshwater and marine green algae constitute the large and morphologically diverse phylum of Chlorophyta, which gave rise to the core chlorophytes. The phylogenetic relationships among core chlorophyte clades (Chlorodendrophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae and Chlorophyceae), are of particular interest as it is a species-rich phylum with ecological importance worldwide, but are still poorly understood. In the Mediterranean ecoregion, data on molecular characterization of eukaryotic microalgae strains are limited and current knowledge is based on ecological studies of natural populations. Chlorophyta are an ancient, morphologically and ecologically diverse lineage that include three major classes: Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyceae (UTC). Despite the fact that the diversity of Chlorophyta is being studied for a long time, our knowledge for their taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships is still deficient [4]. Microscopic green algae are mainly identified based on specific morphological traits (general shape of the cells, position of chloroplasts, presence of pyrenoids, type of reproduction, colony formation, flagella, ultrastructural characteristics etc.) [1].
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