scholarly journals Genetic Diversity in Marine Planktonic Ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) Suggests Distinct Geographical Patterns – Data From Chinese and European Coastal Waters

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian H. Ganser ◽  
Dominik Forster ◽  
Weiwei Liu ◽  
Xiaofeng Lin ◽  
Thorsten Stoeck ◽  
...  

Unraveling geographic distribution patterns of planktonic protists is a central goal in marine microbial ecology. Using a novel combination of recently developed phylogenetic and network analyses on a V4 18S rDNA metabarcoding dataset, we here analyzed the genetic diversity of marine planktonic ciliate communities in Chinese and European coastal waters. Thereby, our approach provided an unprecedented perspective on geographic patterns inferred from ciliate genetic diversity and accomplished a very fine resolution down to single nucleotides within operational taxonomic units (OTUs). While most OTUs (87%) exclusively contained sequences of either Chinese or European origin, those OTUs detected in both regions comprised the vast majority of reads (84%). Phylogenetic analyses of OTUs belonging to the same taxon revealed genetically distinct clades that were geographically restricted to either Chinese or European coastal waters. The detection of signature nucleotides emphasized this genetic distinction of Chinese and European clades. Second-level clustering of OTUs and reference sequences in two selected taxa (the oligotrichid Spirotontonia and the tintinnid Tintinnidium) revealed the presence of several potentially new species or ones lacking genetic reference data. Geographic patterns were also discovered by network analyses within 700 widespread and abundant OTUs; in 77 of these OTUs, European and Chinese sequences formed significantly assortative groups. These assortative groupings indicated a higher genetic similarity among sequences from the same region than between sequences from different regions. Our results demonstrate that detailed analyses of metabarcoding data down to single nucleotide differences expand our perception of geographical distribution patterns and provide insights into historic and ongoing effective dispersal in protists. The congruent discovery of geographic patterns at different levels of resolution (between and within OTUs) suggests that cosmopolitan distribution in marine planktonic ciliates is less common than previously postulated.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiurong Ke ◽  
Diego F Morales-Briones ◽  
Hongxin Wang ◽  
Qinghui Sun ◽  
Landis B Jacob ◽  
...  

Disjunctive distribution patterns and drivers of the Sino-Japanese flora in East Asia have attracted much attention in the past decades, which is also served as an important glacial sanctuary during the quaternary glacial period. However, few studies have focused on the phylogeography, diversification and evolution of morphological character at the genus level with both nuclear and plastid data. Diabelia (Caprifoliaceae) is an East Asian genus, with a disjunctive distribution across China, Japan and Korea, serving as an ideal group to explore the mechanism of East Asian flora speciation and diversification. However, the phylogenetic relationships among Diabelia remain elusive and species delimitation within the genus (three species or four species) are still controversial. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among Diabelia based on nuclear and cpDNA by using target enrichment and genome skimming approaches, respectively. We found that the main clades within Diabelia were discordant between nuclear and plastid genome trees. Both nuclear and plastid phylogenetic analyses supported five main clades: D. serrata, D. tetrasepala, D. spathulata var. sanguinea, D. spathulata var. stenophylla and D. spathulata var. spathulata. Diabelia tetrasepala was inferred to be the result of a hybridization event from the species network analyses. The result of divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction showed that Diabelia originated in Japan during the early Miocene, with subsequent gene flow between China, Japan and Korea. Overall, our results support the division of Diabelia into five main clades and this research provides new insights for the speciation process and taxonomy within Diabelia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-218
Author(s):  
Guolong Yu ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Xuhe Huang ◽  
Pingping Zhou ◽  
Jin Yan ◽  
...  

Background: HIV-1 CRF55_01B was first reported in 2013. At present, no report is available regarding this new clade’s polymorphisms in its functionally critical regions protease and reverse transcriptase. Objective: To identify the diversity difference in protease and reverse transcriptase between CRF55_01B and its parental clades CRF01_AE and subtype B; and to investigate CRF55_01B’s drug resistance mutations associated with the protease inhibition and reverse transcriptase inhibition. Methods: HIV-1 RNA was extracted from plasma derived from a MSM population. The reverse transcription and nested PCR amplification were performed following our in-house PCR procedure. Genotyping and drug resistant-associated mutations and polymorphisms were identified based on polygenetic analyses and the usage of the HIV Drug Resistance Database, respectively. Results: A total of 9.24 % of the identified CRF55_01B sequences bear the primary drug resistance. CRF55_01B contains polymorphisms I13I/V, G16E and E35D that differ from those in CRF01_AE. Among the 11 polymorphisms in the RT region, seven were statistically different from CRF01_AE’s. Another three polymorphisms, R211K (98.3%), F214L (98.3%), and V245A/E (98.3 %.), were identified in the RT region and they all were statistically different with that of the subtype B. The V179E/D mutation, responsible for 100% potential low-level drug resistance, was found in all CRF55_01B sequences. Lastly, the phylogenetic analyses demonstrated 18 distinct clusters that account for 35% of the samples. Conclusions: CRF55_01B’s pol has different genetic diversity comparing to its counterpart in CRF55_01B’s parental clades. CRF55_01B has a high primary drug resistance presence and the V179E/D mutation may confer more vulnerability to drug resistance.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Gédéon Prince Manouana ◽  
Paul Alvyn Nguema-Moure ◽  
Mirabeau Mbong Ngwese ◽  
C.-Thomas Bock ◽  
Peter G. Kremsner ◽  
...  

Enteric viruses are the leading cause of diarrhea in children globally. Identifying viral agents and understanding their genetic diversity could help to develop effective preventive measures. This study aimed to determine the detection rate and genetic diversity of four enteric viruses in Gabonese children aged below five years. Stool samples from children <5 years with (n = 177) and without (n = 67) diarrhea were collected from April 2018 to November 2019. Norovirus, astrovirus, sapovirus, and aichivirus A were identified using PCR techniques followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. At least one viral agent was identified in 23.2% and 14.9% of the symptomatic and asymptomatic participants, respectively. Norovirus (14.7%) and astrovirus (7.3%) were the most prevalent in children with diarrhea, whereas in the healthy group norovirus (9%) followed by the first reported aichivirus A in Gabon (6%) were predominant. The predominant norovirus genogroup was GII, consisting mostly of genotype GII.P31-GII.4 Sydney. Phylogenetic analysis of the 3CD region of the aichivirus A genome revealed the presence of two genotypes (A and C) in the study cohort. Astrovirus and sapovirus showed a high diversity, with five different astrovirus genotypes and four sapovirus genotypes, respectively. Our findings give new insights into the circulation and genetic diversity of enteric viruses in Gabonese children.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 882
Author(s):  
Susanne Baertl ◽  
Corinna Pietsch ◽  
Melanie Maier ◽  
Mario Hönemann ◽  
Sandra Bergs ◽  
...  

Enteroviruses are associated with various diseases accompanied by rare but severe complications. In recent years, outbreaks of enterovirus D68 and enterovirus A71 associated with severe respiratory infections and neurological complications have been reported worldwide. Since information on molecular epidemiology in respiratory samples is still limited, the genetic diversity of enteroviruses was retrospectively analysed over a 4-year period (2013–2016) in respiratory samples from paediatric patients. Partial viral major capsid protein gene (VP1) sequences were determined for genotyping. Enteroviruses were detected in 255 (6.1%) of 4187 specimens. Phylogenetic analyses of 233 (91.4%) strains revealed 25 different genotypes distributed to Enterovirus A (39.1%), Enterovirus B (34.3%), and Enterovirus D (26.6%). The most frequently detected genotypes were enterovirus D68 (26.6%), coxsackievirus A6 (15.9%), and enterovirus A71 (7.3%). Enterovirus D68 detections were associated with lower respiratory tract infections and increased oxygen demand. Meningitis/encephalitis and other neurological symptoms were related to enterovirus A71, while coxsackievirus A6 was associated with upper respiratory diseases. Prematurity turned out as a potential risk factor for increased oxygen demand during enterovirus infections. The detailed analysis of epidemiological and clinical data contributes to the non-polio enterovirus surveillance in Europe and showed high and rapidly changing genetic diversity of circulating enteroviruses, including different enterovirus D68 variants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 307 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pau Carnicero ◽  
Núria Garcia-Jacas ◽  
Llorenç Sáez ◽  
Theophanis Constantinidis ◽  
Mercè Galbany-Casals

AbstractThe eastern Mediterranean basin hosts a remarkably high plant diversity. Historical connections between currently isolated areas across the Aegean region and long-distance dispersal events have been invoked to explain current distribution patterns of species. According to most recent treatments, at least two Cymbalaria species occur in this area, Cymbalaria microcalyx and C. longipes. The former comprises several intraspecific taxa, treated at different ranks by different authors based on morphological data, evidencing the need of a taxonomic revision. Additionally, some populations of C. microcalyx show exclusive morphological characters that do not match any described taxon. Here, we aim to shed light on the systematics of eastern Mediterranean Cymbalaria and to propose a classification informed by various sources of evidence. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses using ITS, 3’ETS, ndhF and rpl32-trnL sequences and estimated the ploidy level of some taxa performing relative genome size measures. Molecular data combined with morphology support the division of traditionally delimited C. microcalyx into C. acutiloba, C. microcalyx and C. minor, corresponding to well-delimited nrDNA lineages. Furthermore, we propose to combine C. microcalyx subsp. paradoxa at the species level. A group of specimens previously thought to belong to Cymbalaria microcalyx constitute a well-defined phylogenetic and morphological entity and are described here as a new species, Cymbalaria spetae. Cymbalaria longipes is non-monophyletic, but characterized by being glabrous and diploid, unlike other eastern species. The nrDNA data suggest at least two dispersals from the mainland to the Aegean Islands, potentially facilitated by marine regressions.


Author(s):  
Andrea Highfield ◽  
Angela Ward ◽  
Richard Pipe ◽  
Declan C. Schroeder

Abstract Twelve hyper-β carotene-producing strains of algae assigned to the genus Dunaliella salina have been isolated from various hypersaline environments in Israel, South Africa, Namibia and Spain. Intron-sizing of the SSU rDNA and phylogenetic analysis of these isolates were undertaken using four commonly employed markers for genotyping, LSU rDNA, ITS, rbcL and tufA and their application to the study of Dunaliella evaluated. Novel isolates have been identified and phylogenetic analyses have shown the need for clarification on the taxonomy of Dunaliella salina. We propose the division of D. salina into four sub-clades as defined by a robust phylogeny based on the concatenation of four genes. This study further demonstrates the considerable genetic diversity within D. salina and the potential of genetic analyses for aiding in the selection of prospective economically important strains.


2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 934-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Harms ◽  
J Dale Roberts ◽  
Mark S Harvey

Abstract The south-western division of Australia is the only biodiversity hotspot in Australia and is well-known for extreme levels of local endemism. Climate change has been identified as a key threat for flora and fauna, but very few data are presently available to evaluate its impact on invertebrate fauna. Here, we derive a molecular phylogeography for pseudoscorpions of the genus Pseudotyrannochthonius that in the south-west are restricted to regions with the highest rainfall. A dated molecular phylogeny derived from six gene fragments is used for biogeographic reconstruction analyses, spatial mapping, environmental niche-modelling, and to infer putative species. Phylogenetic analyses uncover nine clades with mostly allopatric distributions and often small linear ranges between 0.5 and 130 km. Molecular dating suggests that the origins of contemporary diversity fall into a period of warm/humid Palaeogene climates, but splits in the phylogeny coincide with major environmental shifts, such as significant global cooling during the Middle Miocene. By testing several models of historical biogeography available for the south-west, we determine that Pseudotyrannochthonius is an ancient relict lineage that principally follows a model of allopatric speciation in mesic zone refugia, although there are derivations from this model in that some species are older and distribution patterns more complex than expected. Ecological niche models indicate that drier and warmer future climates will lead to range contraction towards refugia of highest rainfall, probably mimicking past variations that have generated high diversity in these areas. Their conservation management will be crucial for preserving the unique biodiversity heritage of the south-west.


Author(s):  
Andrew V. Gougherty

In the northern hemisphere, many species have been reported to have greater genetic diversity in southern populations than northern populations - ostensibly due to migration northward following the last glacial maximum (LGM). The generality of this pattern, while well-established for some taxa, remains unclear for North American trees. To address this issue, I collected published population genetics data for 73 North American tree species, and tested whether genetic diversity was associated with latitude or longitude and whether geographic trends were associated with dispersal traits, range or study characteristics. I found there were no general geographic patterns in genetic diversity, and the strength of the geographic gradients were not associated with any species or study characteristics. Species in the northern and western regions of North America tended to have more species with genetic diversity that declined with latitude, but most species had no significant trend. This work shows that North American trees have complex, individualistic, patterns of genetic diversity that may negate explanation by any particular dispersal trait or range characteristic.


ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 771 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Jane Abigail Santiago ◽  
Maria Carmen Lagman

Tintinnids are an essential link between nano- and macro- planktons in the food webs of the marine environment. It is also known that tintinnids are one of themajor components of marine planktonic ciliates and has a cosmopolitan character. In the Philippine archipelago, which is recognized as a center of marine biodiversity, tintinnids checklist has not been done or published. Therefore, a checklist is presented in this study based on a compilation of previous tintinnids studies conducted at the Philippines waters. As a result of the studies done since 1941 up to present, a total of 114 taxa belonging to 14 families and 37 genera were listed. The Philippines coastal waters record a total of 50 species while the open seas document 72 species to date.


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