Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular genetic divergence of the centric diatom Cyclotella and Discostella (Bacillariophyceae) revealed by nuclear ribosomal DNA comparisons

  • Published:
Journal of Applied Phycology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The centric diatom Cyclotella, including the recently separated Discostella, is commonly present in freshwater and several species are important bio-indicators. Here, we describe molecular characteristics of the nuclear rDNA, spanning 18S to D1/D2 region of the 28S rDNA, of two genera Cyclotella and Discostella, particularly using Korean isolates of C. meneghiniana, Discostella sp. c.f. D. pseudostelligera. Molecular and morphological analyses showed that our isolates had nearly identical genotypes in rDNA and similar morphology as compared to presumably the same species from other geographical areas. Phylogenetic analyses of individual 18S and partial 28S rDNAs of Cyclotella sensu lato showed that all sequences were separated into two clades: one containing Cyclotella, the other Discostella including C. ocellata and C. bodanica. Statistical tests with pairwise genetic distance scores showed that the two genera were significantly different (one-factor ANOVA, p < 0.01). In addition, divergence in the partial 28S rDNA was significantly high (p < 0.01) as compared to 18S rDNA. This provides evidence that the two genera, Cyclotella and Discostella, belong to genetically well-separated groups. In addition, 28S rDNAs is a more suitable molecular marker for the discrimination of Cyclotella sensu lato.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alverson AJ, Jansen RK, Theriot EC (2007) Bridging the Rubicon: phylogenetic analysis reveals repeated colonization of marine and fresh waters by thalassiosiroid diatoms. Mol Phylogenet Evol 45:193–210

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beakes G, Canter HM, Jaworski GHM (1988) Zoospore ultrastructure of Zygorhizidium affluens Canter and Z. planktonicum Canter, two chytrids parasitizing the diatom Asterionella formosa Hassall. Can J Bot 66:1054–1067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beszteri B, Ács É, Medlin LK (2005a) Conventional and geometric morphometric studies of valve ultrastructural variation in two closely related Cyclotella species (Bacillariophyceae). Eur J Phycol 40:89–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beszteri B, Ács É, Medlin LK (2005b) Ribosomal DNA sequence variation among sympatric strains of the Cyclotella meneghiniana complex (Bacillariophyceae) reveals cryptic diversity. Protist 156:317–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beszteri B, John U, Medlin LK (2007) An assessment of cryptic genetic diversity within the Cyclotella meneghiniana species complex (Bacillariophyta) based on nuclear and plastid genes, and amplified fragment length polymorphisms. Eur J Phycol 42:47–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruder K, Medlin LK (2007) Molecular assessment of phylogenetic relationships in selected species/genera in the naviculoid diatoms (Bacillariophyta). I. The genus Placoneis. Nova Hedwig 85:331–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho K-J (1996) Fine morphology of some Cyclotella species from the freshwater zone of the Naktong River. Algae 11:9–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder JFJ, Turner BJ (1995) Concerted evolution of repetitive DNA sequences in eukaryotes. Q Rev Biol 70:297–320

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finlay BJ, Monaghan EB, Maberly SC (2002) Hypothesis: the rate and scale of dispersal of freshwater diatom species is a function of their global abundance. Protist 153:261–273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guiry MD, Guiry GM (2009) "Cyclotella". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=43757. Retrieved on 2009-05-10

  • Håkansson H, Kling H (1994) Cyclotella agassizensis nov. sp. and its relationship to C. quillensis Bailey and other prairie Cyclotella species. Diatom Res 9:289–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall TA (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucl Acids Symp Ser 41:95–98

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harmsen D, Karch H (2004) 16S rDNA for diagnosing pathogens: a living tree. American Society for Microbiology News 70:19–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Houk V, Klee R (2004) The stelligeroid taxa of the genus Cyclotella (Kützing) Brebisson (Bacillariophyceae) and their transfer into the new genus Discostella gen. nov. Diatom Res 19:203–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Huelsenbeck JP, Ronquist F (2001) MRBAYES: Bayesian inference of phylogenetic trees. Bioinformatics 17:754–755

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaczmarska I, Beaton M, Benoit AC, Medlin LK (2005) Molecular phylogeny of selected members of the order Thalassiosirales (Bacillariophyta) and evolution of the Fultoportula. J Phycol 42:121–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karsten U, Schumann R, Rothe S, Jung I, Medlin L (2006) Temperature and light requirements for growth of two diatom species (Bacillariophyceae) isolated from an Arctic macroalga. Polar Biol 29:476–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellogg E (1998) Who’s related to whom? Recent results from molecular systematics. Curr Opin Biol 1:149–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly MG, Bennion H, Cox EJ, Goldsmith B, Jamieson J, Juggins S, Mann DG, Telford RJ (2005). Common freshwater diatoms of Britain and Ireland: an interactive key. Environment Agency, Bristol. http://hdl.handle.net/10141/62875.

  • Ki J-S, Han M-S (2005) Sequence-based diagnostics and phylogenetic approach of uncultured freshwater dinoflagellate Peridinium species based on single-cell sequencing of rDNA. J Appl Phycol 17:147–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ki J-S, Han M-S (2008) Implications of complete nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA molecules from the harmful unarmored dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides (Dinophyceae) and relatives. Biochem Syst Ecol 36:573–583

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ki J-S, Cho S-Y, Katano T, Jung SW, Lee J, Park BS, Kang S-H, Han M-S (2009) Comprehensive comparisons of three pennate diatoms, Diatoma tenuae, Fragilaria vaucheriae, and Navicula pelliculosa, isolated from summer Arctic reservoirs (Svalbard 79°N), by fine-scale morphology and nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA. Pol Biol 32:147–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp JM, Furey PC, Lowe RL (2006) A comparison of the morphology and ultrastructure of the diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) Discostella stelligera and D. elentarii from two lakes in Fiordland, New Zealand. NZ J Mar Freshwater Res 40:429–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krammer K, Lange-Bertalot H (1991) Bacillariophyceae. 3. Teil: Centrales, Fragilariaceae, Eunotiaceae. Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Laws RA (1988) Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) from surface sediments in the San Francisco Bay estuary. Proc CAS 45:133–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee JH, Lee EH (1988) A taxonomic study on the genus Cyclotella, Bacillariophyceae, in Korean Waters. Kor J Phycol 3:133–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Medlin LK, Kaczmarska I (2004) Evolution of the diatoms: V. Morphological and cytological support for the major clades and a taxonomic revision. Phycologia 43:245–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer B, Håkansson H (1996) Morphological variation of Cyclotella polymorpha sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae). Phycologia 35:64–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nylander JAA (2004) MrModeltest v2 (Evolutionary Biology Centre. Uppsala Univ, Uppsala, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliva MG, Lugo A, Alcocer J, Cantoral-Uriza EA (2008) Morphological study of Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana Prasad (Stephanodiscaceae) from a saline Mexican lake. Saline Systems 4:17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Page RDM (1996) TREEVIEW: an application to display of phylogenetic trees on personal computers. Comput Appl Biosci 12:357–358

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prasad AKSK, Nienow JA (2006) The centric diatom genus Cyclotella (Stephanodiscaceae: Bacillariophyta) from Florida Bay, USA, with special reference to Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana and Cyclotella desikacharyi, a new marine species related to the Cyclotella striata species. Phycologia 45:127–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarno D, Kooistra WHCF, Medlin K, Percopo I, Zingone A (2005) Diversity in the genus Skeletonema (Bacillariophyceae): II. An assessment of the taxonomy of S. costatum-like species, with the description of four new species. J Phycol 41:151–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smol JP, Douglas MSV (1996) Long-term environmental monitoring in Arctic lakes and ponds using diatoms and other biological indicators. Geosci Can 23:225–229

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoermer EF, Håkansson H, Theriot EC (1987) Cyclostephanos species new to North America: C. tholiformis sp. nov. and C. costatilimbus comb. nov. Br Phycol J 22:349–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura K, Dudley J, Nei M, Kumar S (2007) MEGA4: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software version 4.0. Mol Biol Evol 24:1596–1599

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson JD, Higgins DG, Gibbson TJ (1997) Clustal X: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, position specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice. Nucleic Acids Res 22:4673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuji A, Houki A (2001) Centric diatoms in Lake Biwa. Lake Biwa Research Institute, Otsu 90pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuji A, Williams DM (2006) The identity of Cyclotella glomerata Bachmann and Discostella nipponica (Skvortzov) Tuji et Williams comb. et stat. nov. (Bacillariophyceae) from Lake Kizaki, Japan. Bull Natl Sci Mus Tokyo Ser B 32:9–14

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Miss Youn-Kyong Kang for cell isolation and culture. Dr. Hans-Uwe Dahms gave some helpful comments on a previous manuscript version.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. South Sea Institute, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Geoje, 656-830, Korea

    Seung Won Jung

  2. Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791, Korea

    Myung-Soo Han

  3. Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 110-743, Korea

    Jang-Seu Ki

Authors
  1. Seung Won Jung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Myung-Soo Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jang-Seu Ki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jang-Seu Ki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jung, S.W., Han, MS. & Ki, JS. Molecular genetic divergence of the centric diatom Cyclotella and Discostella (Bacillariophyceae) revealed by nuclear ribosomal DNA comparisons. J Appl Phycol 22, 319–329 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-009-9462-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-009-9462-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation