Role of pyrenoids in the CO2-concentrating mechanism: comparative morphology, physiology and molecular phylogenetic analysis of closely related strains of Chlamydomonas and Chloromonas (Volvocales)

The morphology of the pyrenoid and the physiology of the CO₂-concentrating mechanism (CCM) were investigated in Chlamydomonas (Cd.) mutabilis Gerloff UTEX 578, Cd. radiata Deason et Bold UTEX 966, Cd. augustae Skuja UTEX 1969, Cd. macrostellata Lund SAG 72.81, Cd. bipapillata Bourrelly SAG 11-47, and Chloromonas (Cr.) insignis Gerloff et Ettl NIES-447, all of which are closely related phylogenetically to the pyrenoid-less strains of Chloromonas. In the chloroplasts of Cd. mutabilis UTEX 578, Cd. radiata UTEX 966, Cd. augustae UTEX 1969, and Cd. macrostellata SAG 72.81, a typical, spheroidal, electron-dense pyrenoid matrix surrounded by starch granules was present, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco; EC 4.1.1.39) molecules were highly concentrated in the pyrenoid matrix. On the other hand, while the pyrenoid matrix of Cr. insignis NIES-447 was electron-dense that of Cd. bipapillata SAG 11-47 was not, and neither was surrounded by starch granules. The pyrenoid matrices of these two species exhibited a higher concentration of Rubisco molecules than the thylakoid region (thylakoid and stroma) of the chloroplasts; however, the densities of Rubisco molecules in these pyrenoid matrices were low compared with those of the other four Chlamydomonas strains examined in this study and that of Cd. reinhardtii Dangeard. In all six strains examined, the presence of the CCM was indicated by relatively high photosynthetic affinities for CO₂ (low values of K_0.5(CO₂)). However, differences in the inorganic carbon (Ci) pools were recognized in relation to the differences in pyrenoid morphology among the strains. In the typical pyrenoid-containing strains. Cd. mutabilis UTEX 578 and Cd. radiata UTEX 966, the ratio of internal to external inorganic carbon was about 20, while in Cr. insignis NIES-447 and Cd. bipapillata SAG 11-47 the ratio was only 2–3 similar to the two pyrenoid-less, CCM-containing strains of Chloromonas previously examined (E. Morita et al., 1998, Planta 204: 269–276). It is thus speculated that the presence of typical pyrenoids with a high concentration of Rubisco molecules is related to the formation of large Ci pools in the CCM. Detailed phylogenetic relationships among these Chlamydomonas/Chloromonas strains and the pyrenoid-less Chloromonas strains previously investigated were inferred based on the sequence of rbcL, the gene for the large subunit of Rubisco. Two monophyletic groups were resolved with high bootstrap values. Based on the tree topology resolved, it was inferred that loss of the typical pyrenoids accompanied by a decrease in intracellular Ci pools might have taken place independently in the two groups. Received: 21 August 1998 / Accepted: 30 November 1998     

PHYLOGENYOF CHLOROMONAS (CHLOROPHYCEAE): A STUDY OF 185 RIBOSOMAL RNA GENE SEQUENCES1

The unicellular, biflagellate genus Chloromonas differs from its ally, Chlamydomonas, primarily by the absence of pyrenoids in the vegetative stage of the former. As with most green flagellate genera, little is known about phylogenetic affinities within and among Chloromonas species. Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear-encoded small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences demonstrate that a sampling of five Chloromonas taxa, obtained from major culture collections, do not form a monophyletic group. However, only three of these isolates, Chloromonas clathrata, Chloromonas serbinowi, and Chloromonas rosae, are diagnosable morphologically as Chloromonas species by the absence of a pyrenoid in the vegetative stage. The three diagnosable Chloromonas taxa form an alliance with two pyrenoid-bearing chlamydomonads, Chlamydomonas augustae and Chlamydomonas macrostellata. With the exception of Chloromonas serbinowi, which represents the basal lineage within the clade, each of the diagnosable Chloromonas taxa and their pyrenoidbearing Chlamydomonas allies were isolated originally from mountain soils, snow, or cold peat. These observations suggest that habitat, independent of pyrenoid status, may be most closely linked to the natural history of this clade of chlamydomonad flagellates.     

Rosetta gen. nov. (Chlorophyta): Resolving the identity of red snow algal rosettes

Thick-walled rosette-like snow algae were long thought to be a life stage of various other species of snow algae. Rosette-like cells have not been cultured, but by manually isolating cells from 38 field samples in southern British Columbia, we assigned a variety of rosette morphologies to DNA sequence. Phylogenetic analysis of Rubisco large-subunit (rbcL) gene, ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rRNA region, and 18S rRNA gene revealed that the rosette-like cells form a new clade within the phylogroup Chloromonadinia. Based on these data, we designate a new genus, Rosetta, which comprises five novel species: R. castellata, R. floranivea, R. stellaria, R. rubriterra, and R. papavera. In a survey of 762 snow samples from British Columbia, we observed R. floranivea exclusively on snow overlying high-elevation glaciers, whereas R. castellata was observed at lower elevations, near the tree line. The other three species were rarely observed. Spherical red cells enveloped in a thin translucent sac were conspecific with Rosetta, possibly a developmental stage. These results highlight the unexplored diversity among snow algae and emphasize the utility of single-cell isolation to advance the centuries-old problem of disentangling life stages and cryptic species.     

从光合作用特性看铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)的竞争优势

通过测定净光合放氧速率,研究了温度、光照和pH对铜绿微囊藻(M icrocystis aeruginosa)和玫瑰拟衣藻(Chlorom onas rosae)光合作用的影响。两种藻的光合放氧速率都随着温度的升高而加快,在10~35℃范围内,铜绿微囊藻净光合放氧速率随温度升高而直线上升,其最适温度高于35℃,而当温度高于30℃后玫瑰拟衣藻的净光合放氧速率迅速下降;两种微藻的光合放氧速率-光强变化曲线有所不同,铜绿微囊藻光饱和点在500μmol.m-2.s-1附近,光强达到900μmol.m-2.s-1时仍无光抑制现象发生,玫瑰拟衣藻光饱和点在630μmol.m-2.s-1附近,当光强进一步升高,光合放氧速率开始下降;铜绿微囊藻最适pH值是10.0,在pH值6.5~11.5范围内,光合放氧都很活跃,变化幅度不大,玫瑰拟衣藻最适pH值7.0,偏酸或偏碱光合放氧都迅速地下降,pH高于10.0出现了负值。比较两种藻的光合作用特性,铜绿微囊藻光合作用具有3个特点:(1)适应温度范围宽,对高温具有良好的适应性,并且光合作用随温度的升高显著提高;(2)光饱和点低,光合作用活性高,能在弱光环境中高效地进行光合作用,并且抗强光伤害;(3)对pH变化具有超强的适应能力,在中性和碱性环境中,都能进行活跃的光合作用。铜绿微囊藻在光能利用、温度和pH适应性方面的特点,可以使其快速生长繁殖,积累大量的生物量,在与其它藻类的竞争中占据显著的优势。     

中国团藻目研究(Ⅰ)

为了配合中国孢子植物志《团藻目》编志的需要 ,作者到广西壮族自治区、内蒙古自治区、湖北省等地采集标本进行分类研究。文中报道了团藻目 6个属的 4个新种 ,1个新变种和 9个中国新记录 ,其中拟衣藻属Chloromonas和朴罗藻属 Provasoliella为我国新记录属 ,武汉朴罗藻、嗜碱衣藻、多粒衣藻、广西拟衣藻为新种 ,星状四鞭藻广西变种为新变种。     

中国衣藻科(团藻目)新资料

报道了湖北省武汉市团藻目4个属的8个中国新记录。     

拟衣藻属一新种——中华拟衣藻及其生活史的研究

报道了团藻目衣藻科拟衣藻属一新种。此种从中国科学院武汉植物研究所一浇园粪缸中采得,在分离室内单种培养过程中,对其形态学和生活史进行了研究。营养细胞具有多个盘状色素体,与拟衣藻属已知的种类有明显的差别。经培养观察,作者发现除细胞分裂、无性生殖外,还有同宗异配式有性生殖,在生活史各阶段该藻中绿体中均未见蛋白核,因此,拟衣藻作为分类单元是一个有效的属。     

中国团藻目研究(Ⅱ)

报道了贵州省贵阳市、荔波县,湖北省武汉市及北京市等省市团藻目6个属的10个新种和6个中国新记录。     

The austral biflagellate Chloromonas rubroleosa (Chlorophyceae) is the closest relative of the unusual quadriflagellate genus Chlainomonas,both found in snow

The quadriflagellate genus Chlainomonas frequently dominates red snow globally. It is unusual in several respects, with two separated pairs of flagella, apparent cell division via extrusion of cytoplasmic threads, and being nested phylogenetically within the biflagellate genus Chloromonas. Here, we showed that the austral species Chloromonas (Cr.) rubroleosa, originally described from Antarctic red snow, is a close biflagellate relative of Chlainomonas, challenging the monophyly of Chlainomonas as currently conceived. Sequences of the 18S rRNA gene robustly linked Cr. rubroleosa with near-identical environmental sequences from Antarctic red snow and Chlainomonas from North America, Japan, and Europe. Furthermore, the 18S rRNA and rbcL gene sequences of Cr. rubroleosa were almost identical to New Zealand and North American collections of Chlainomonas. Cr. rubroleosa and New Zealand Chlainomonas are separated by only a single-base substitution across the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA loci (and according to ITS2, the North American collection is the next closest relative). This again raises the possibility that Chlainomonas is a life-cycle stage of vegetatively biflagellate organisms, although this remains confounded by the scarcity of biflagellates in field populations, the apparent cell division by quadriflagellates, and the absence of Chlainomonas-type cells in cultures of Cr. rubroleosa. The latter species is broadly similar to Chlainomonas, being poor at swimming, with similar pigment, chloroplast arrangement and ultrastructure, and is relatively large. Increased size is a feature of the wider clade of “Group D” snow algae. A synthesis of field and laboratory investigations may be needed to unravel the life cycle and correct the systematics of this group.