Establishment of endolithic populations of extremophilic Cyanidiales (Rhodophyta)

Hwan Su Yoon; Claudia Ciniglia; Min Wu; Josep M Comeron; Gabriele Pinto; Antonino Pollio; Debashish Bhattacharya

doi:10.1186/1471-2148-6-78

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Establishment of endolithic populations of extremophilic Cyanidiales (Rhodophyta)

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Establishment of endolithic populations of extremophilic Cyanidiales (Rhodophyta)

Hwan Su Yoon, Claudia Ciniglia, Min Wu, Josep M Comeron, Gabriele Pinto, Antonino Pollio and Debashish Bhattacharya

BMC evolutionary biology, Vol.6(1), pp.78-78

10/05/2006

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-6-78

PMCID: PMC1626084

PMID: 17022817

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Abstract

Cyanidiales are unicellular extremophilic red algae that inhabit acidic and high temperature sites around hot springs and have also adapted to life in endolithic and interlithic habitats. Comparative genomic analysis of Cyanidioschyzon merolae and Galdieria sulphuraria predicts that the latter may be more broadly distributed in extreme environments because its genome contains membrane transporters involved in the uptake of reduced carbon compounds that are absent from C. merolae. Analysis of an endolithic site in the Phlegrean Fields near Naples, Italy is consistent with this prediction showing this population to be comprised solely of the newly described lineage Galdieria-B and C. merolae to be limited to humid habitats. Here, we conducted an environmental PCR survey of another extreme environment in Tuscany, Italy and contrasted Cyanidiales population structure at endolithic and interlithic habitats in Naples and Tuscany. We find a second Galdieria lineage (Galdieria-A) in endolithic and interlithic habitats in Tuscany but surprisingly Cyanidium was also present at these sites. The photoautotrophic Cyanidium apparently survives below the rock surface where sufficient light is available for photosynthesis. C. merolae is absent from all endolithic and interlithic sites in Tuscany. Population genetic analyses of a partial calmodulin gene fragment suggest a recent establishment or recurrent gene flow between populations in Tuscany, whereas the highly structured Galdieria-B population in Naples likely originated from 2-3 founder events. We find evidence of several recombination events across the calmodulin gene, potentially indicating the presence of sexual reproduction in the Tuscany populations. Our study provides important data regarding population structure in extreme endolithic environments and insights into how Cyanidiales may be established in and adapt to these hostile environments.

Genetic Variation

Plant Proteins - genetics

Rhodophyta - physiology

Gene Flow

Ecosystem

Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Italy

Plant Proteins - metabolism

Rhodophyta - classification

Phylogeny

Rhodophyta - genetics

Population Dynamics

Details

Title: Subtitle: Establishment of endolithic populations of extremophilic Cyanidiales (Rhodophyta)
Creators: Hwan Su Yoon - Department of Biological Sciences and Roy J, Carver Center for Comparative Genomics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. hwan-yoon@uiowa.edu
Claudia Ciniglia
Min Wu
Josep M Comeron
Gabriele Pinto
Antonino Pollio
Debashish Bhattacharya
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: BMC evolutionary biology, Vol.6(1), pp.78-78
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-6-78
PMID: 17022817
PMCID: PMC1626084
NLM abbreviation: BMC Evol Biol
ISSN: 1471-2148
eISSN: 1471-2148
Publisher: England
Language: English
Date published: 10/05/2006
Academic Unit: Biology
Record Identifier: 9983992057602771

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