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Morpho-molecular characterization of rock-inhabiting lichen Dermatocarpon miniatum (Verrucariaceae, Ascomycota) and its symbiont in Indian Himalayas

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Abstract

The genus Dermatocarpon (Verrucariaceae) is a rock-inhabiting lichen, mostly grows along the edges of lakes, rivers, streams, and watercourses. Dermatocarpon species are widely distributed from the tropics to the polar regions. In present study, D. miniatum samples were collected from the Indian Himalayas; the mycobiont and their photobionts are identified using morphological and molecular methods. The ITS rDNA markers was amplified for the DNA extracted from cultured photobiont isolates and mycobiont. The light and confocal laser scanning microscope were used for morphological evaluation of the photobionts. The nuclear ITS rDNA gene of the mycobionts and photobionts were sequenced to confirm identity. The phylogenetic trees of mycobionts and photobionts were constructed using the Maximum likelihood method that revealed an evolutionary affinity of lichen D. miniatum and photobiont Diplosphaera chodatii with similar taxa. The D. chodatii (Trebouxiophyceae) was associated with all samples of D. miniatum. This study concludes that Diplosphaera chodatii is the primary photobiont associated with D. miniatum. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study of diversity for the photobiont associated with D. miniatum from India.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grant-in-aid from CSIR-Sponsored Research Scheme (60(0114)/17/EMR-II) awarded to FB. We are grateful to Dr. Kiran Toppo, Senior Technical Officer, Algology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, for providing us light microscopic images of photobionts. Figures were created with BioRender.com.

Funding

This work was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi (No. 60(0114)/17/EMR-II).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India

    Khem Chand Saini, Felix Bast & Ajay Kumar Gautam

  2. Lichenology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226001, India

    Sanjeeva Nayaka

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  1. Khem Chand Saini
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  2. Felix Bast
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  4. Ajay Kumar Gautam
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Contributions

FB conceived the idea of the manuscript. KCS collected the samples, performed experiments, analyzed the data, and drafted the manuscript. AKG helped in culturing and sequencing experiments. SN helped in the morphological analysis of lichen samples and reviewed the manuscript. FB proof checked and finalized the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Felix Bast.

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Saini, K.C., Bast, F., Nayaka, S. et al. Morpho-molecular characterization of rock-inhabiting lichen Dermatocarpon miniatum (Verrucariaceae, Ascomycota) and its symbiont in Indian Himalayas. Nucleus 64, 193–202 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13237-021-00349-0

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