Abstract
Myxomycetes, or plasmodial slime-moulds, are one of the largest groups in phylum Amoebozoa. Nonetheless, only ∼10% are in the database for the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA gene, the most widely used gene for phylogenetics and barcoding. Most sequences belong to dark-spored Myxomycetes (order Fuscisporida); the 318 species of superorder Lucisporidia (bright-spored) are represented by only eleven genuine sequences. To compensate for this, we provide 66 new sequences, 37 SSU rRNA and 29 elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α), for 82% of the genera of Lucisporidia. Phylogenetic analyses of single- and two-gene alignments produce congruent topologies and reveal both morphological characters that have been overemphasised and those that have been overlooked in past classifications. Both classical orders, Liceida and Trichiida, and several families and genera are para/polyphyletic; some previously unrecognised clades emerge. We discuss possible evolutionary pathways. Our study fills a gap in the phylogeny of Amoebozoa and provides an extensive SSU rRNA sequence reference database for environmental sampling and barcoding. We report a new group I intron insertion site for Myxomycetes in one Licea.
Highlights
Myxomycetes, or plasmodial slime-moulds, are exceptional in several respects
Both small subunit (SSU) and two-gene trees strongly place Cribrariidae as a monophyletic lineage sister to all other Lucisporidia (Bayesian posterior probabilities (BPP) 1.0; Maximum likelihood (ML) bootstrap replicates (MLB) 0.98%). These are divided into seven clades, with the holophyletic Reticulariidae sister to all the others (BPP 1.0; MLB 0.85)
In Licea the processes arising from the peridium of at least three species could be a rudimentary capillitium [29], and in Lycogala epidendrum the so-called pseudocapillitium may be true capillitium
Summary
Myxomycetes, or plasmodial slime-moulds, are exceptional in several respects. Most striking is their life cycle: a giant multinucleate amoeba (up to several dm2) is formed by fusion of two amoebae. Com/data/index.php, updated 20.7.12), with arcellindid testate amoebae being one of the two largest groups within the phylum Amoebozoa. The primary phylogenetic bifurcation within Myxogastria is between the darkspored and bright-spored clades [2,9], superorders Columellidia and Lucisporidia respectively [8]. Lucisporidia has 34% of myxomycete species and is generally divided into two orders (Liceida Jahn, 1928 and Trichiida Macbride, 1922), 22 genera and 318 species (http://eumycetozoa.com/data/index.php, updated 20.7.12) (Table 1)
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