Genetic variation and structure of the endangered freshwater benthic alga Marimo, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegagropila linnaei</Emphasis> (Ulvophyceae) in Japanese lakes |
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Authors: | Akiko Soejima Natsuko Yamazaki Takako Nishino Isamu Wakana |
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Institution: | (1) Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan;(2) Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Izumi, Osaka 594-1011, Japan;(3) Lake Akan Eco-Museum Center, Akan, Hokkaido 085-0467, Japan |
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Abstract: | Aegagropila linnaei is a freshwater green alga of the order Cladophorales, which is well known as ‘Marimo’ in Japan for its beautiful spherical
form as lake balls in Lake Akan. Lake Akan is the only lake in which spherical ‘Marimo’ is found in Japan, but the species
also grows as floating or epilithic filaments which appear in several other Japanese lakes. The spherical growth form usually
reproduces vegetatively, and it is not known if the species also reproduces sexually or whether transformation between different
growth forms happens in natural populations. In this study, the genetic diversity of A. linnaei in Japan was investigated using isozyme analysis. Apart from one colony in Lake Ogawara, each colony was genetically homogeneous,
which suggests that asexual reproduction is dominant. All the non-epilithic (spherical aggregations, floating filaments, and
floating tufts) colonies in Lake Akan were genetically similar, regardless of the location of sites within the lake, while
epilithic colonies have different genetic structures. Therefore, transformation or gene flow between epilithic and non-epilithic
forms is not evident in natural populations. Because the genetic diversity largely depends on epilithic algae in Lake Akan,
it is important to conserve epilithic- as well as spherical-colonies. |
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Keywords: | Aegagropila linnaei Conservation Endangered plant Freshwater algae Genetic variation Isozyme ‘ Marimo’ |
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