PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF THE OOCYSTACEAE (CHLOROPHYTA) |
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| Authors: | Dominik Hepperle Eberhard Hegewald Lothar Krienitz |
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| Affiliation: | Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Alte Fischerhütte 2, D-16775 Neuglobsow, Germany;Institute of Chemistry and Dynamics of the Geosphere, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany;Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Alte Fischerhütte 2, D-16775 Neuglobsow, Germany |
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| Abstract: | The complete 18S rRNA gene sequences of three Oocystis A. Braun species (Oocystaceae) and three other chlorococcal algae, Tetrachlorella alternans (G. M. Smith) Korš. (Scenedesmaceae), Makinoella tosaensis Okada (Scenedesmaceae), and Amphikrikos cf. nanus (Fott & Heynig) Hind. (Chlorellaceae) were determined and subjected to four different phylogenetic analysis algorithms. Independent of the reconstruction method, these taxa clustered together as a monophyletic group (Oocystaceae) within the Trebouxiophyceae. This result was supported by high bootstrap values. A comparison of morphological data with the phylogenetic reconstructions indicated that the evolution of Oocystaceae was accompanied by a reduction in the number of plastids. This study fully supports the taxonomic assignment of the Oocystaceae as a distinct family. The diacritic criterion that the cell walls are composed of several cellulose layers with perpendicular fibril orientations is in accordance with the molecular data. |
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| Keywords: | Amphikrikos Chlorophyta Makinoella Oocystis phylogeny systematics Tetrachlorella 18S rRNA gene |
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