Rosetta gen. nov. (Chlorophyta): Resolving the identity of red snow algal rosettes |
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Authors: | Casey B Engstrom Breanna B Raymond Joud Albeitshawish Anastasia Bogdanovic Lynne M Quarmby |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada;2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Contribution: Investigation (supporting) |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | Chlainomonas Chloromonadinia Chloromonas morphology phylogeny Sanguina single-cell PCR taxonomy ultrastructure watermelon snow |
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