AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study focused on understanding the evolution of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) in lichen-forming fungi, particularly analyzing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region used for DNA barcoding, through high-throughput sequencing of nine species in the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma complex.
  • - Researchers found that nrDNA copy numbers ranged from nine to 48 and observed low intragenomic variation in the ITS region, supporting the monophyly of the species in this complex based on various phylogenetic analyses.
  • - The findings confirm that the ITS region serves as an effective barcode marker for fungi, although limited intragenomic variability was noted, indicating that it might not fully distinguish between different taxa within the R.

Article Abstract

Background: Regions within the nuclear ribosomal operon are a major tool for inferring evolutionary relationships and investigating diversity in fungi. In spite of the prevalent use of ribosomal markers in fungal research, central features of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) evolution are poorly characterized for fungi in general, including lichenized fungi. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nrDNA has been adopted as the primary DNA barcode identification marker for fungi. However, little is known about intragenomic variation in the nrDNA in symbiotic fungi. In order to better understand evolution of nrDNA and the utility of the ITS region for barcode identification of lichen-forming fungal species, we generated nearly complete nuclear ribosomal operon sequences from nine species in the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma species complex using short reads from high-throughput sequencing.

Results: We estimated copy numbers for the nrDNA operon, ranging from nine to 48 copies for members of this complex, and found low levels of intragenomic variation in the standard barcode region (ITS). Monophyly of currently described species in this complex was supported in phylogenetic inferences based on the ITS, 28S, intergenic spacer region, and some intronic regions, independently; however, a phylogenetic inference based on the 18S provided much lower resolution. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated ITS and intergenic spacer sequence data generated from 496 specimens collected worldwide revealed previously unrecognized lineages in the nrDNA phylogeny.

Conclusions: The results from our study support the general assumption that the ITS region of the nrDNA is an effective barcoding marker for fungi. For the R. melanophthalma group, the limited amount of potential intragenomic variability in the ITS region did not correspond to fixed diagnostic nucleotide position characters separating taxa within this species complex. Previously unrecognized lineages inferred from ITS sequence data may represent undescribed species-level lineages or reflect uncharacterized aspects of nrDNA evolution in the R. melanophthalma species complex.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6945747PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1571-4DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

species complex
16
nuclear ribosomal
12
dna barcode
8
ribosomal operon
8
nrdna
8
nrdna evolution
8
spacer region
8
region nrdna
8
barcode identification
8
marker fungi
8

Similar Publications

Deciphering the colostral-immunity transfer: from mammary gland to neonates small intestine.

Vet Res Commun

January 2025

Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.

Colostrum, the initial mammary secretion produced by various mammals following birth, is a conduit for maternal immunity transfer in diverse mammalian species. Concurrently, many cellular processes are occurring in the neonatal small intestine to prepare it to receive molecular signals from a superfood essential for the neonate's health and development. During the prepartum colostrum secretion, the newborn intestine undergoes transient alterations in the intestinal barrier, primarily regulating immunoglobulin absorption.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Riverine flooding is increasing in frequency and intensity, requiring river management agencies to consider new approaches to working with communities on flood mitigation planning. Communication and information sharing between agencies and communities is complex, and mistrust and misinformation arise quickly when communities perceive that they are excluded from planning. Subsequently, riverfront community members create narratives that can be examined as truth regimes-truths created and repeated that indicate how flooding and its causes are understood, represented, and discussed within their communities-to explain why flooding occurs in their area.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Plants will form the basis of artificial ecosystems in space exploration and the creation of bases on other planets. Astrophysical factors, such as ionizing radiation (IR), magnetic fields (MF) and gravity, can significantly affect the growth and development of plants beyond Earth. However, to date, the ways in which these factors influence plants remain largely unexplored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Hepatincolaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) are a group of bacteria that inhabit the gut of arthropods and other ecdysozoans, associating extracellularly with microvilli. Previous phylogenetic studies, primarily single-gene analyses, suggested their relationship to the Holosporales, which includes intracellular bacteria in protist hosts. However, the genomics of Hepatincolaceae is still in its early stages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fungal periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are rare but increasingly recognized complications following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). While remains the most common pathogen, non-albicans species and other fungi, such as , have gained prominence. These infections often present with subtle clinical features and affect patients with significant comorbidities or immunosuppression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!