Introns in SSU rDNA sequences and its relation in phylogenetic history of Hyalosphaeniidae (Amoebozoa: Arcellinidae)

• Grant number: 17/09882-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2017
• End date: July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Daniel José Galafasse Lahr
• Grantee: Samuel Pereira Junior
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main objective of this study is the reconstruction of the phylogenetic history of Hyalospheniidae, based on SSU rDNA. Previously, the most comprehensive reconstructions were based on another marker, the Cox1, or cytochrome c oxidase 1. Therefore, our objectives include to compare the genetic diversity with the morphological diversity of the studied species, in addition to determining the "entry point" of the introns in the phylogenetic history of this family. The motivation for this study was a lack of consensus in the phylogenetic tree of Hyalospheniidae, besides the obtainment of new data, such as the introns found in the single cell sequencings in organisms of this family. The importance of the study is the possibility of elucidation of the function of introns and its interference in the resolution of phylogenetic trees, using this family of Arcellinida as model. We currently own 41 sequenced Hyalospheniidae SSUs and 139 images of the samples. Sequencing was done using single cells, allowing for more accurate molecular data. The next steps of the study include the phylogenetic reconstruction with the new data, followed by the morphological analysis and subsequent analysis of the genetic distances. These procedures will be performed following well established protocols in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology. (AU)