• ALGAE
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.127-139
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• 2023

Cryptic stages of diverse macroalgae present in natural substrata, "the bank of microscopic forms", were isolated into clonal cultures and identified based on both morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding. Approximately 120 clonal isolates from 308 natural substratum samples were collected from the entire coastline of Kuwait. Amongst these isolates, 77 (64%) were identified through DNA barcoding using the nuclear ribosomal small subunit, RuBisCO spacer (ITS2, tufa, rbcL, psaA, and psbA) and sequencing. Twenty-six isolates (34%) were identified in the division Chlorophyta, 18 (23%) as Phaeophyceae, and 33 (43%) as Rhodophyta. For all DNA sequences in this study, species-level cut off applied was ≥98% homology which depend entirely on the markers used. Three putative new records of Chlorophyta new for the Arabian Gulf were made: Cladophora laetevirens (Dillwyn) Kützing, Ulva torta (Mertens) Trevisan and Ulvella leptochaete (Huber) R. Nielsen, C. J. O'Kelly & B. Wysor in Nielsen, while Cladophora gracilis Kützing and Ulva ohnoi M. Hiraoka & S. Shimada are new records for Kuwait. For Phaeophyceae, Ectocarpus subulatus Kützing and Elachista stellaris Areschoug were new records for the Gulf and Kuwait. In the Rhodophyta, Acrochaetium secundatum (Lyngbye) Nägeli in Nägeli & Cramer, Ceramium affine Setchell & N. L. Gardner, Gelidium pusillum var. pakistanicum Afaq-Husain & Shameel and Dasya caraibica Børgesen are new records for the Gulf and Kuwait, while the red alga Stylonema alsidii (Zanardini) K. Drew is a new record for Kuwait. Several isolates identified corresponded to genera not previously reported in Kuwait and / or the Arabian Gulf, such as Porphyrostromium Trevisan, a new genus from the Bangiales, and two unidentified species for the Planophilaceae Škaloud & Leliaert. The isolates cultivated from substrata enhance understanding of the marine macroalgal diversity in the region and confirmed that the Germling Emergence Method is suitable for determining the actual diversity of a given study area through isolation from cryptic life-history phases.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.104.2-105
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• 2000

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.117.1-117
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• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2020

Sphacelaria is a filamentous brown algal genus that can be epibiotic on macroalgae, marine plants, and sea turtles. Its important role in benthic ecosystems, exposure to different stressors (e.g., grazing), and use as a model organism make Sphacelaria ideal for assessing physiological responses of organisms to environmental inputs. Single-cell RNA sequencing is a powerful new probe for understanding environmental responses of organisms at the molecular (transcriptome) level, capable of delineating gene regulation in different cell types. In the case of plants, this technique requires protoplasts ("naked" plant cells). The existing protoplast isolation protocols for Sphacelaria use non-commercial enzymes and are low-yielding. This study is the first to report the production of protoplasts from Sphacelaria fusca (Hudson) S.F. Gray, using a combination of commercial enzymes, chelation, and osmolarity treatment. A simple combination of commercial enzymes (cellulase Onozuka RS, alginate lyase, and driselase) with chelation pretreatment and an increased osmolarity (2512 mOsm/L H₂O) gave a protoplast yield of 15.08 ± 5.31 × 10⁴ protoplasts/g fresh weight, with all the Sphacelaria cell types represented. Driselase had no crucial effect on the protoplast isolation. However, the increased osmolarity had a highly significant and positive effect on the protoplast isolation, and chelation pretreatment was essential for optimal protoplast yield. The protocol represents a significant step forward for studies on Sphacelaria by efficiently generating protoplasts suitable for cellular studies, including single-cell RNA sequencing and expression profiling.

• ALGAE
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2005

The brown algal family Chordariaceae sensu lato is a focus of taxonomy because recent studies suggest a broad concept of the family, including genera formerly classified in the Dictyosiphonales. Using morphology, plastid rbcL and nrDNA ITS sequences, we evaluated relationships of the monotyic genus Soranthera (S. ulvoidea), which has been classified in the Punctariaceae. The species occurs in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California. Thalli are globose to lobed, hollow, 3-5 cm in diameter, and covered with evenly distributed sori. However, two forms within the species are recognized: f. ulvoidea for globose forms and f. difformis for lobed forms. Plastid rbcL and nuclear ITS region sequences were newly determined in samples of S. ulvoidea from the Pacific coast of the North America. We found little variations in the ITS sequences among samples of S. ulvoidea from five different locations and in the rbcL region from two different locations. These results do not support previous classification of f. ulvoidea and f. difformis within the species. All analyses of our rbcL sequence dataset show that Soranthera was placed in the Chordariaceae s.l., but more related to Botrytella than Punctaria and Asperococcus.

• ALGAE
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.363-368
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• 2005

The brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum and its mutualistic, ascomycete symbiont, Mycophycias ascophylli, form a complex ‘rganism’or symbiotum. Here we show the interaction of the symbiotum to the abundant brown algal epiphyte, Elachista fucicola. Microscopy of field-collected plants shows morphological responses of A. nodosum to the common epiphyte E. fucicola. When E. fucicola attaches to A. nodosum a bundle of several to dozens of rhizoids penetrates into the host. On the surface of the host, the cells proliferate to form a donut-shaped ring, 100-200 μm in height that surrounds the thallus of E. fucicola. A pit forms in advance of the rhizoids and the cells of A. nodosum break down. This leaves the network of fungal hyphae partially intact and intermingling with the epiphyte rhizoids and its lowermost cells. After the pit is formed, the cells of A. nodosum bordering the infection chamber redifferentiate an epidermal layer. Neither the host nor its mutualistic fungus, M. ascophylli appears to recognize E. fucicola as an invader and to prevent the attachment and growth of this epiphyte. Based on the physical damage to the host caused by invading rhizoids, we conclude that the relationship of E. fucicola to A. nodosum is that of a parasite and its host.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2007

Sargassum filicinum Harvey, a brown alga (Phaeophyceae) native to Northeastern Asia, has been recently reported from the coast of Southern California (USA). Here we report the occurrence and range extension of this introduced species, as we found the alga at La Jolla and Rancho Packard in Todos Santos Bay, Baja California, Mexico. The first collections of S. filicinum correspond to several immature plants, found on September 8, 2005, drifting in the intertidal zone at La Jolla. Later on November 9, 2006, we found a well-established population in Rancho Packard in the middle intertidal zone to 2 m depth. Since S. filicinum is an annual monoecious species with air bladders, the risk there is a high risk of spreading rapidly along the Pacific, as in the case for S. muticum. The population in Rancho Packard extends 500 m along the coast, consisting mainly of young plants with an average length of 30 cm and a density of 5 thallus/m2. This is the first record of this invasive species for the Mexican Pacific coast, and it represents the southern limit along the Pacific coast of North America. This finding suggests that this invasive species has successfully colonized the Pacific coast of North America and its distributional range is still expanding.

• ALGAE
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.135-144
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• 2002

Scytosiphonaceae is an acetocarpalean brown algal family, that is a recent focus of synstematics and marine biodiversity. We describe Petalonia zosterifolia and Scytosiphon gracilis from Korea for the first time. P. zosterifolia occurred on the East coast, and had flat, linear and solid thalli. S. gracilis was found in Jeju, and had cylindircal to flat and hol-low thalli. However, these two species are so similar that it is difficult to identify by morphology alone. In order to determine if the nuclear DNA reveals the distinctness of both species and to know their phylogenies, the ITS region sequences were newly detrmined in 22 samples of P. zosterifolia, Scytosiphon gracilis, and other three members of the genera from Korea. We found 0.12% variation among samples of P. zosterifolia from different locations, and no variation between S. gracilis samples from diferent years, but extensive interspecific divergences (13.62-22.83%) of each species to other members in Petalonia and Scytosiphon . The ITS sequence dta consistently showed a close relationship between P. zosterifolia and S. gracilis. This result is congruent with morphology and with the published data of plastid rbc and partial nrDNA large subunit gene sequences, and suggests that P. zosterifolia and S. gracilis might have diverged from the most recent common ancestor.

• ALGAE
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 2002

Three species of marine algae, two browns and one red were newly reported from the eastern and the southern coast of Korea including Cheju Island. their vegetative and reproductive structures were described. Colpomenia phaeodactyla Wynne et J.N. Norris (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) commonly occured in middle to lower intertidal zone of southern coast. Plants consisted of clusters of elongated and hollow sacs arising from an adherent colpomenioid base. Plurilocular sporangia were multiseriate, forming dense, extensive sori over the erect sacs. Cutleria adspersa (Mertens ex Roth) De Notaris (Cutleriaceae, Phaeophyceae) was collected from subtidal region of Cheju Island. It was characterized by broadly fan-shaped habits with golden brown colour and hair-fringed margines, attached by rhizoids along undersurface. Halarachnion latissimum Okamura (Furcellariaceae, Rhodophyceae) was found adrift from several areas of southern coast. Plants were brownish red, filmy and dlicate, membranaceous roundish fronds. Cystocarps were globular and formed under the cortical layer. Tetrasporangia were oblong and zonately divided.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 2007

Annual growth segments of Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis (Fucales, Fucaceae) are denoted by air bladders that form each spring. By examining annual growth segments, it may be possible to infer information about the physical conditions during the growth period; however, it is uncertain whether the annual segments will expand in size after the initial growth. We examined A. nodosum segments from three populations in Nova Scotia, and statistically evaluated whether the annual growth (length, mass, and maximum diameter) of segments was independent of the age of the frond, whether the segments increased in size after the initial growth, and whether the segment lengths were correlated with mean water temperatures and mean air temperatures when the segments were formed. We found that the growth in length of A. nodosum is dependent on the age of the frond, but frond age explained less than 12 % of the overall variation in length. However, the mass and maximum diameter of segments were independent of the age of the frond. Differences occurred between the lengths of segments formed in different years, but there was no significant correlation with regional mean water or air temperatures. This study indicates that the length of A. nodosum segments may be an indicator of the annual physical characteristics of a site, but future studies are needed to identify which factors have the strongest influence on growth patterns.