Refining taxonomic identification of microalgae through molecular and genetic evolution: a case study of Prorocentrum lima and Prorocentrum arenarium

作者：Danlin Zheng, Li‐Gong Zou, Jian Zou, Qun Li, Songhui Lü · 发表于：Microbiology Spectrum · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1128/spectrum.02367-23 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Marine Toxins and Detection Methods、Algal biology and biofuel production、Marine and coastal ecosystems

ABSTRACT Species delimitation based on lineage definition has become increasingly popular. However, these methods have been limited, especially for species that lack genomic data and are morphologically similar. The trickiest part for the species identification is that the interspecific and intraspecific boundaries are vague. Taking Prorocentrum (Dinophyta) as an example, analysis of cell morphology, growth, and toxin synthesis in both species of P. lima and P. arenarium does not provide a reliable basis for species delineation. However, through phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses of their ITS and LSU sequences, establishment of evolutionary tree based on orthologous gene sequences, and combining the results of automatic barcode gap discovery and Poisson tree processes models, it was sustained that P. arenarium does not belong to the P. lima complex and should be considered as an independent species. Interspecies genetic evolution analysis revealed that P. lima and P. arenarium may contribute to evolutionary direction that favors combating reverse environmental factors. In P. lima , viral invasion may be one of the reasons for its large genome size. In the study, P. lima complex has been selected as an example to enhance the taxonomic identification of microalgae through molecular and genetic evolution, offering valuable insights into refining taxonomic identification and promoting microbial biodiversity research in other species. IMPORTANCE Microalgae, especially the ...