Publication Date:
2021-09-08
Description:
Ulva-like green algae are notoriously difficult to distinguish because of their great morphological variability and/or similarity, and DNA barcoding approaches are currently indispensable for their identification. However, such approaches often fail if rare or inapparent species are to be detected in large mixed green algal stands. We therefore developed a detection method based on next generation DNA sequencing, suitable for analysis of DNA traces in conserved water samples. A primer pair was developed that allows for amplification of a 475 bp long section within the tufA marker gene. The primers are relatively group specific, as 79.6 % of all reads obtained after quality filtering represented Ulvophyceae. The relatively short target amplicon still allows for good differentiation of Ulvales and Ulothrichales at the species level. Using a database containing tufA sequences of 879 species – thereof 281 Ulvophyceae – we detected predominantly species that were previously observed in our study area in Northern Germany. However, the number of species detected in single sites was generally higher than in earlier barcoding studies, which may be due to drifting genetic traces: Samples collected offshore appeared influenced by Ulvophyceae present within a radius of up to about 1 km in winter and less than 100 m in summer. Nonetheless, this new approach can be used to detect rare species: In one site an undescribed Blidingia species not yet known from our study area was repeatedly detected. Based on these findings the species was discovered and its identity was confirmed by traditional tufA barcoding.
Type:
Conference or Workshop Item
,
NonPeerReviewed
,
info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject
Format:
text
