Cladonia azorica in the British Isles

Abstract:Cladonia azorica is widespread in western Great Britain, mainly as the grey colour-form lacking usnic acid. Cladonia azorica is distinguished from the related species C. portentosa and C. mediterranea by the presence of fumarprotocetraric acid, and from C. ciliata by a number of characters including the presence of perlatolic acid. The structure of the pycnidial wall may have some taxonomic significance in Cladonia subgenus Cladina.     

Cladonia monomorpha,a neglected cup lichen from Europe

Abstract:Cladonia monomorpha is recognized as a distinct species in the Cladonia pyxidata group. It is characterized by thallus lobes with narrowly recurved margins, by the presence of discoid, bullate plates on the podetial surface and by long and sometimes branched proliferations of the scyphus margins supporting the apothecium discs. It is described from the Netherlands, where it occurs in acid inland sand dune areas with the highest terrestrial lichen diversity. It appears to be widespread in Europe on siliceous rock and acid sand.     

Cladonia krogiana,a new xanthone-containing species from Norway

Abstract:The new lichen species Cladonia krogiana is described from eight localities in SE Norway. It resembles C. polycarpoides morphologically, but differs in containing barbatic acid and chlorovinetorin.     

Breeding systems in the lichen-forming fungal genus Cladonia

The breeding systems of three species of the lichen-forming fungal genus Cladonia were investigated. Cladonia floerkeana, Cladonia galindezii, and Cladonia portentosa were selected due to their contrasting ecologies and reproductive strategies, and because they belong to the Lecanorales, the major lichen-forming order. Sibling single-spore progeny were collected from apothecia and used to establish axenic cultures. Two experimental approaches were used to determine breeding systems. First, RAPD-PCR and AFLP fingerprinting revealed that spores from the same apothecium were not genetically uniform, indicating heterothallism in each of these species. Second, segregation of a MAT-2 mating-type gene was assessed using degenerate PCR primers designed to amplify the high-mobility group region. A MAT-2 gene occurred in 40-60% of progeny, consistent with a heterothallic breeding system. The PCR product from C. galindezii was cloned and sequenced, and confirmed to have the characteristic motifs of a MAT-2 HMG gene. This is thought to be the first report of the use of segregation of a mating-type gene among ascospore progeny to determine the breeding system of a fungal species. The ecological significance of the results is discussed.     

Cladonia singhii and other new reports of Cladonia from the Eastern Himalayan Region of India

Abstract:A new species, Cladonia singhii Ahti & Dixit (type from the state of Arunachal Pradesh), is described. A further seven Cladonia species, C. corniculata, C. kanewskii, C. laii, C. luteoalba, C. mauritiana, C. mongolica and C. rei, are reported as new to the recent checklist of lichens of the Indian subcontinent. The presence of C. cartilaginea in India is confirmed.     

Comparative studies of the polysaccharides isolated from lichenized fungi of the genus Cladonia: significance as chemotypes

Beta-D-glucans of the laminaran type were prepared from 15 Cladonia spp., Cladonia bellidiflora, Cladonia boryi, Cladonia clathrata, Cladonia connexa, Cladonia crispatula, Cladonia furcata, Cladonia gracilis, Cladonia ibitipocae, Cladonia imperialis, Cladonia miniata, Cladonia penicillata, Cladonia salmonea, Cladonia signata, Cladonia substellata and Cladonia uncialis. They were extracted with 10% aqueous KOH at 100 degrees C, giving polysaccharides with varying yields and proportions of mannose, galactose and glucose. Their aqueous solutions were freeze-thawed giving precipitates of mixed alpha-glucan (nigeran) and beta-glucans, which were isolated and suspended in aqueous 0.5% KOH at 50 degrees C, which preferentially dissolved the beta-glucan. In the case of the C. uncialis product, it was subjected to methylation analysis, which gave rise to 2,4,6-tri-O-methylglucitol acetate only, corresponding to (1-->3)-linkages. Its specific rotation (+4 degrees ) and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were consistent with beta-linkages. 13C and (1)H-1 signals were observed, respectively, at delta 102.8 (C-1), 86.0 (C-3), 76.2 (C-5), 72.6 (C-2), 68.3 (C-4) and 60.7 (C-6), and 4.55 (H-1), 3.31 (H-2), 3.49 (H-3), 3.27 (H-4), 3.27 (H-5), 3.48 (H-6) and 3.72 (H-6'). Similar (13)C-NMR spectra were obtained from the glucans from the other 14 Cladonia spp. The beta-D-glucans of the laminaran type seems to be present in all Cladonia spp. being significant for chemotyping since it was observed in every species studied.     

Novel structures in galactoglucomannans of the lichens Cladonia substellata and Cladonia ibitipocae: significance as chemotypes.

The galactoglucomannans of two species of the lichen genus Cladonia, C. substellata and C. ibitipocae, were compared. They were homogeneous on gel-filtration chromatography and structurally related, having (1-->6)-linked alpha-D-mannopyranosyl main-chains, but were substituted in different patterns by alpha- and beta-D-galacto-, beta-D-gluco- and alpha-D-mannopyranosyl groups. The C-1 portions of their 13C-NMR spectra are typical of the lichen species and indicate differences between the two polysaccharides. Partial acetolysis of the galactoglucomannan from C. substellata gave rise to oligosaccharides and three were identified, namely alpha-D-Manp-(1-->3)-alpha beta-D-Galp, alpha-D-Manp-(1-->2)-alpha beta-D-Manp and alpha-D-Manp-(1-->2)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)]-alpha beta-D-Manp, whereas only the latter two were obtained from that of C ibitipocae. Methylation and Smith degradation data confirmed these results. Whereas the mannobiose represents a common structure in lichen heteropolysaccharides, it is the first time that the other oligosaccharides have been isolated from those of lichens.     

Cladonia (sect. Cocciferae) norvegica, a new lichen species

Cladonia (sect. Cocciferae , subsect. Ochroleucae) norvegica T0nsb. & Holien sp. nov., is closely related to C. bacilliformis (Nyl.) DT. & Sarnth. but is morphologically, chemically, and ecologically distinct. Superficially it may resemble C. (sect. Cladonia) coniocraea auct., which is often growing with it. C. norvegica is known from Norway only.     

Cladonia petrophila,a new species from eastern North America

Cladonia petrophila, an overlooked, usually sterile species, morphologically similar toC. apodocarpa andC. caespiticia, is described as new on the basis of its distinctive chemistry, perlatolic and fumarprotocetraric acids, and habitat preference for moist non-calcareous rock.     

Cladonia subturgida and C. iberica (Cladoniaceae) form a single, morphologically and chemically polymorphic species

Cladonia subturgida and C. iberica constitute the whole of a Mediterranean problematic species, which shows great morphological polymorphism. A study was carried out in order to delimit the extant taxa within this group. The variability of the group was studied morphologically, chemically and phylogenetically. The phylogeny was based on three loci (ITS rDNA, rpb2 and mtLSU), using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Six chemotypes were identified, the most common one containing atranorin and protolichesterinic acid. Our results prove that C. subturgida and C. iberica constitute a single, morphologically and chemically polymorphic species. The taxonomic rank of C. turgida var. corsicana was also studied based on analyses of morphological, chemical and ITS rDNA data. The new nomenclatural combination, C. corsicana, is proposed.     

中国石蕊属地衣的垂直分布规律(英文)

基于标本馆馆藏标本的信息,研究了中国石蕊属Cladonia地衣及其18个种的垂直分布规律,并确认了本属倾向于分布在高海拔地区的特点。物种随海拔梯度的变化在统计学上呈正态分布或偏正态分布是非常普遍的现象,但是它们的分布规律与其所处的海拔位置相关:物种分布范围随着海拔的增加而缩小。因此,全球变暖会对高海拔地区的物种构成更直接的威胁。粉杆石蕊C.bacillaris和瘦柄红石蕊C.macilenta具有相同的海拔分布规律和分布范围,从生态学的角度支持了它们为同种的观点。     

Requirements to produce fumarprotocetraric acid using alginate-immobilized cells of Cladonia verticillaris

The biosynthesis of the depsidone, fumarprotocetraric acid, a compound previously considered to be only produced by lichens, has been confirmed by using alginate-immobilized cells of Cladonia verticillaris. Immobilized cells only produce the depsidone when they are supplemented with FMN and acetate. This implies that fumaric acid which esterifies an alcohol function in the C3 of a depsidone precursor is added through a reducing, flavin-dependent, coupling reaction that uses the pool of succinyl-CoA from the fungal partner.     

Phylogeny of bipolar Cladonia arbuscula and Cladonia mitis (Lecanorales,Euascomycetes)

Phylogenetic relationships and levels of geographic differentiation of two closely related bipolar taxa, Cladonia arbuscula and Cladonia mitis, were cladistically examined with ITS regions, SSU rDNA introns, partial beta-tubulin, and partial glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes. In the combined analysis of the four genes, C. arbuscula was paraphyletic, while C. mitis, nested within C. arbuscula, formed a strongly supported monophyletic group. C. arbuscula samples were divided into three separate clades: "arbuscula I," appearing as basal to the other ingroup taxa, "arbuscula II," and "arbuscula III" (the latter represented by only one specimen), which were not correlated with any morphological trait. Only C. mitis specimens formed a morphologically and chemically distinct group. None of the main clades was correlated with geographic origin. The separate analyses were poorly resolved, and in most cases samples from "arbuscula I," "arbuscula II," and "arbuscula III" clades were intermixed. An incongruence test revealed conflict among the four gene regions in almost all cases. Only ITS regions and introns were not significantly incongruent, suggesting lack of recombination within the ribosomal DNA locus. Incomplete lineage sorting and recombination were considered to be the main reasons accounting for the incongruencies. The high proportion of shared polymorphisms between the "arbuscula I" and "arbuscula II" clades, especially found from the beta-tubulin gene and from the ITS regions, and the lack of corroborating morphological characters both indicate a short history of reproductive isolation among the groups. The lack of genetic differentiation among the northern and southern samples within the main clades indicates a relatively recent gene flow, which may have resulted from migrations during the Pleistocene glaciations or from more recent long-distance dispersal.     

Polysaccharides of lichenized fungi of three Cladina spp.: significance as chemotypes

The chemical structures of nigerans, an alpha-glucan, laminarans, a beta-glucan, galactoglucomannans and galactomannoglucans of three species of Cladina, namely C. arbuscula, C. confusa and C. substenius, were determined and compared. According to chemical and spectroscopic analyses, the glucans investigated to date, which have been isolated in 15 Cladonia species, as well as the galactomannoglucans and galactoglucomannans, have similar principal structures. This suggests that, in terms of polysaccharide structure, Cladonia and Cladina genera do not show differences. DNA studies support this idea and it is proposed that Cladina be reduced to a synonym under Cladonia.     

Taxonomy of the lichen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cladonia rei</Emphasis> and its status in Poland

Cladonia rei (Cladoniaceae, lichenized Ascomycota), a species recently synonymised with C. subulata, deserves to be treated as a separate taxon. Since C. rei was very much neglected in Poland and most previous records referred to C. glauca and C. subulata, its distribution and habitat requirements in the country are reviewed. It is commoner in the eastern part of Poland, becoming rarer towards the west. Information on its chemical variation and general distribution are also provided.     

Growth and nitrogen relations in the mat-forming lichens Stereocaulon paschale and Cladonia stellaris

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mat-forming lichens in the genera Stereocaulon and Cladonia have ecosystem-level effects in northern boreal forests. Yet the factors affecting the productivity of mat-forming lichens are not known. The aim of the presented work was to investigate whether mat-forming lichens adapted to low N availability employ N-conserving mechanisms similar to those of vascular plants in nutrient-poor ecosystems. Specifically, the following questions were asked: (a) Do lichens translocate N from basal areas to apical growth areas? (b) Are the quantities of N translocated of ecological significance. (c) Is lichen growth dependent on tissue N concentration [N]. METHODS: Two different, but complementary, field experiments were conducted using the mat-forming N2-fixing Stereocaulon paschale and non-fixing Cladonia stellaris as model species. First, N translocation was investigated by feeding lichens with Na(15)NO3 either directly to the apex (theoretical sink) or to the basal part (theoretical source) and observing the redistribution of (15)N after a growth period. Secondly, growth and variation in [N] in thalli of different lengths was measured after a growth period. KEY RESULTS: (15)N fed to lower parts of lichen was translocated towards the growing top, but not vice versa, indicating physiologically dependent translocation that follows a sink-source relationship. In the growth experiment where thalli were cut to different lengths, the significant decrease in [N] in apices of short vs. longer thalli after a growth period is consistent with internal relocation as an ecologically important source of N. CONCLUSIONS: The presented results demonstrate that internal recycling of N occurs in both species investigated and may be ecologically important in these mat-forming lichens under field conditions. The higher nitrogen use efficiency and relative growth rate in C. stellaris in comparison with S. paschale probably enable C. stellaris to dominate the ground cover vegetation in dry boreal coniferous forests under undisturbed conditions.     

矮石蕊在东亚的地位

中国和日本有关具粉末状粉芽的矮石蕊(Cladonia humilis)的报导大多数实际上是指本文中描述的新种,黑氏石蕊(Cladonia kurokawae Ahti & S. Stcnroos).其特征是杯体深裂,含有黑茶渍素和富马原岛衣酸.真正的矮石蕊在中国和日本是很少见的;日本的种类中,含有黑茶渍素和波衣酸的两个化学型都存在.     

Phylogeny of the Genus Cladonia s.lat. (Cladoniaceae, Ascomycetes) Inferred from Molecular, Morphological, and Chemical Data

Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cladonia , including Cladina (Cladoniaceae, Lecanoromycetes), were reconstructed based upon simultaneous analyses of DNA sequences and morphological and chemical data. We used sequences from the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), the 5.8 rDNA gene, and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear rDNA gene cluster, and partial sequences from the protein-coding β-tubulin gene. The analyses included 235 specimens of 168 taxa representing all currently recognized sections of Cladonia and Cladina and the outgroup genera Cladia, Pycnothelia , and Ramalea . Analyses were performed using optimization alignment with three different parameter values. The results of all analyses support the inclusion of Cladina in Cladonia . The current sectional division of Cladonia was not supported, and a new provisional classification for the genus is proposed.     

Local population subdivision in the lichen Cladonia subcervicornis as revealed by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 intron sequences

A 753-771 bp long intronic sequence from the mitochondrial cox 1 gene of Cladonia subcervicornis (Cladoniaceae, Lecanorales, Ascomycota) was amplified with newly designed PCR primers. The cox 1 intron sequence, which apparently has not been used for phylogenetic or population genetic research in fungi, displays high infraspecific variation. Sequences were obtained from 124 specimens from four neighboring localities in coastal Hordaland, western Norway. An exact test of population differentiation and population pairwise fixation indices F(ST) show significantly reduced gene flow between the northernmost locality and the other three populations. Although Cladonia subcervicornis frequently produces apothecia, we conclude that dispersal by ascospores over long distances is rather ineffective in this species.     

Vertical concentration gradients of heavy metals in Cladonia lichens across different parts of thalli

Certain lichens of the genus Cladonia are effective heavy-metal-tolerant colonisers of strongly contaminated and disturbed sites. Among them, Cladonia cariosa, Cladonia pyxidata and Cladonia rei are the major components of specific cryptogamic assemblages proven to be bioindicators of soil pollution. This study examines the bioaccumulation capacity and heavy metal accumulation pattern of these species in the context of element concentration levels in various parts of their thalli at various vertical distances from the ground. The content of Zn, Pb, Cd, As and Cu in primary squamules, lower and upper parts of secondary thalli (podetia), and fruiting bodies (apothecia), as well as the corresponding substrate, was analysed using the AAS method. The substrate turned out to be the main source of heavy metals in the examined Cladonia lichens. Element accumulation in particular parts of thalli greatly depends on metal enrichment in the immediate vicinity while Cu/Zn ratios for both substrate and lichen samples were very low and comparable within the species. Concentration levels in thalli usually decrease significantly with distance from the substrate. The exception is copper, which content was frequently higher in apothecia than in the upper parts of podetia. Low bioaccumulation factors calculated for the examined Cladonia specimens classified these lichens as weak accumulators of heavy metals. Even given an extremely high level of contaminants in the substrate, the upper parts of thalli are not greatly affected. Consequently, fruticose and erect growth form, in combination with low accumulation capacity and a remarkable decrease in metal content along a vertical gradient, may be an important attribute of Cladonia lichens in the colonisation of a highly contaminated substrate. The content of elements differs significantly between particular parts of Cladonia thalli; this should be taken into account whenever burdens of heavy metals are used as indicators in biomonitoring studies.