Dataset Information

Genetic identification and evolutionary trends of the seagrass Halophila nipponica in temperate coastal waters of Korea.

ABSTRACT: Although seagrass species in the genus Halophila are generally distributed in tropical or subtropical regions, H. nipponica has been reported to occur in temperate coastal waters of the northwestern Pacific. Because H. nipponica occurs only in the warm temperate areas influenced by the Kuroshio Current and shows a tropical seasonal growth pattern, such as severely restricted growth in low water temperatures, it was hypothesized that this temperate Halophila species diverged from tropical species in the relatively recent evolutionary past. We used a phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions to examine the genetic variability and evolutionary trend of H. nipponica. ITS sequences of H. nipponica from various locations in Korea and Japan were identical or showed very low sequence divergence (less than 3-base pair, bp, difference), confirming that H. nipponica from Japan and Korea are the same species. Halophila species in the section Halophila, which have simple phyllotaxy (a pair of petiolate leaves at the rhizome node), were separated into five well-supported clades by maximum parsimony analysis. H. nipponica grouped with H. okinawensis and H. gaudichaudii from the subtropical regions in the same clade, the latter two species having quite low ITS sequence divergence from H. nipponica (7-15-bp). H. nipponica in Clade I diverged 2.95 ± 1.08 million years ago from species in Clade II, which includes H. ovalis. According to geographical distribution and genetic similarity, H. nipponica appears to have diverged from a tropical species like H. ovalis and adapted to warm temperate environments. The results of divergence time estimates suggest that the temperate H. nipponica is an older species than the subtropical H. okinawensis and H. gaudichaudii and they may have different evolutionary histories.

SUBMITTER: Kim YK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5432184 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic identification and evolutionary trends of the seagrass Halophila nipponica in temperate coastal waters of Korea.

Kim Young Kyun YK Kim Seung Hyeon SH Yi Joo Mi JM Kang Chang-Keun CK Short Frederick F Lee Kun-Seop KS

PloS one 20170515 5

Although seagrass species in the genus Halophila are generally distributed in tropical or subtropical regions, H. nipponica has been reported to occur in temperate coastal waters of the northwestern Pacific. Because H. nipponica occurs only in the warm temperate areas influenced by the Kuroshio Current and shows a tropical seasonal growth pattern, such as severely restricted growth in low water temperatures, it was hypothesized that this temperate Halophila species diverged from tropical species ...[more]

PMID: 28505209

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Project description:BackgroundDinoflagellates are a ubiquitous and ecologically important component of marine phytoplankton communities, with particularly notable species including those associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) and those that bioluminesce. High-throughput sequencing offers a novel approach compared to traditional microscopy for determining species assemblages and distributions of dinoflagellates, which are poorly known especially in Australian waters.ResultsWe assessed the composition of dinoflagellate assemblages in two Australian locations: coastal temperate Port Phillip Bay and offshore tropical waters of Davies Reef (Great Barrier Reef). These locations differ in certain environmental parameters reflecting latitude as well as possible anthropogenic influences. Molecular taxonomic assessment revealed more species than traditional microscopy, and it showed statistically significant differences in dinoflagellate assemblages between locations. Bioluminescent species and known associates of HABs were present at both sites. Dinoflagellates in both areas were mainly represented by the order Gymnodiniales (66%-82% of total sequence reads). In the warm waters of Davies Reef, Gymnodiniales were equally represented by the two superclades, Gymnodiniales sensu stricto (33%) and Gyrodinium (34%). In contrast, in cooler waters of Port Phillip Bay, Gymnodiniales was mainly represented by Gyrodinium (82%). In both locations, bioluminescent dinoflagellates represented up to 0.24% of the total sequence reads, with Protoperidinium the most abundant genus. HAB-related species, mainly represented by Gyrodinium, were more abundant in Port Phillip Bay (up to 47%) than at Davies Reef (28%), potentially reflecting anthropogenic influence from highly populated and industrial areas surrounding the bay. The entire assemblage of dinoflagellates, as well as the subsets of HAB and bioluminescent species, were strongly correlated with water quality parameters (R2 = 0.56-0.92). Significant predictors differed between the subsets: HAB assemblages were explained by salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids; whereas, bioluminescent assemblages were explained only by salinity and dissolved oxygen, and had greater variability.ConclusionHigh-throughput sequencing and genotyping revealed greater diversity of dinoflagellate assemblages than previously known in both subtropical and temperate Australian waters. Significant correlations of assemblage structure with environmental variables suggest the potential for explaining the distribution and composition of both HAB species and bioluminescent species.

Dataset Information

Genetic identification and evolutionary trends of the seagrass Halophila nipponica in temperate coastal waters of Korea.

Publications

Genetic identification and evolutionary trends of the seagrass Halophila nipponica in temperate coastal waters of Korea.

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