DNA barcoding reveals high diversity in the Gelidiales of the Brazilian southeast coast

Author(s)

Iha, Cintia ^[1] ; Milstein, Daniela ^[2] ; Guimaraes, Silvia Maria P. B. ^[3] ; Wilson Freshwater, D. ^[4] ; Oliveira, Mariana Cabral ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Mar, BR-11030400 Santos - Brazil

^[3] Nucleo Pesquisa Ficol, Inst Bot, BR-04301902 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ N Carolina, Ctr Marine Sci, Wilmington, NC 28409 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Botanica Marina; v. 58, n. 4, p. 295-305, AUG 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 17

Abstract

Morphological identification of species in the order Gelidiales can be difficult and controversial because of phenotypic plasticity, the low numbers of reproductive specimens and poorly defined taxonomic boundaries. A DNA barcoding survey of Brazilian specimens of Gelidiales, employing neighbor-joining and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery analyses, indicated the presence of 23 statistically robust primary species hypotheses (PSH). In addition to the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI-5P), the chloroplast universal plastid amplicon (UPA) marker was also sequenced and submitted to the same analyses. Representatives of each COI-5P/UPA PSH were selected for rbcL sequence analysis to further corroborate the occurrence of 23 species and to infer their phylogenetic relationships. These analyses confirmed the identity of six species previously cited for Brazil: Gelidiella acerosa, G. ligulata, Gelidium crinale, G. floridanum, Pterocladiella bartlettii and P. capillacea. Three new reports for Brazil were also detected: Gelidium microdonticum, Pterocladiella beachiae and P. australafricanensis. Fourteen species remain unidentified and require detailed morphological evaluation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/03592-3 - Morphological and phylogenetic studies on Gelidiales (Rhodophyta)
• Grantee: Cintia Iha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• FAPESP's process: 11/04224-5 - Diversity of Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) based on molecular markers and morphoanatomic studies to southeastern Brazil
• Grantee: Cintia Iha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 13/11833-3 - Diversity and phylogeny of red algae (Rhodophyta) of economic and ecological importance
• Grantee: Mariana Cabral de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants