Haplotype and nucleotide characteristics of photobiont and mycobiont gene sequences in the lichen Cetraria aculeata ...

• Main Authors: Domaschke, Stephanie, Fernández-Mendoza, Fernando, García, Miguel Ángel, Martín, María, Printzen, Christian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2012
• Subjects: Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas SPP1158; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Climate change; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.847607; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.847607

Lichens, symbiotic associations of fungi (mycobionts) and green algae or cyanobacteria (photobionts), are poikilohydric organisms that are particularly well adapted to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Terrestrial ecosystems of the Antarctic are therefore largely dominated by lichens. The effects of global climate change are especially pronounced in the maritime Antarctic and it may be assumed that the lichen vegetation will profoundly change in the future. The genetic diversity of populations is closely correlated to their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and to their future evolutionary potential. In this study, we present evidence for low genetic diversity in Antarctic mycobiont and photobiont populations of the widespread lichen Cetraria aculeata. We compared between 110 and 219 DNA sequences from each of three gene loci for each symbiont. A total of 222 individuals from three Antarctic and nine antiboreal, temperate and Arctic populations were investigated. The mycobiont ... : Supplement to: Domaschke, Stephanie; Fernández-Mendoza, Fernando; García, Miguel Ángel; Martín, María; Printzen, Christian (2012): Low genetic diversity in Antarctic populations of the lichen-forming ascomycete Cetraria aculeata and its photobiont. Polar Research, 31, 17353 ...