• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2015

The genus of leafy green algae, Prasiola Meneghini, includes marine, terrestrial, and freshwater species. A total of 11 species and one variety have been identified in China, Korea, and Japan. In Korea, Prasiola formosana var. coreana has been reported in Muncheon, North Korea, while a different type of Prasiola species has been reported in South Korea. The South Korean species has been found growing along a small stream originating from Chodanggul Cave, a limestone cave in Samcheok, Gangwon Province. Here, we revised the morphological characteristics of the South Korean Prasiola species and analyzed plastid rbcL, psaB, and tufA genes to clarify its identity. Although the external and anatomical morphologies varied among individuals, our results were very similar to previous reports. Plastid three genes sequences of the South Korean specimens were identical to those of P. japonica collected from Japan as well as to published sequences of P. yunnanica from China. A short rbcL-3P sequence (196 bp) from P. formosana var. coreana, which was identified in the type specimen, was also identical to a sequence from P. japonica. These Prasiola species and variety from Korea, Japan, and China are all distributed in areas characterized by limestone bedrock. Based on morphological, phylogenetic, and distributional features, the South Korean Prasiola species is regarded herein as P. japonica. Here, we also propose to synonymize P. formosana var. coreana and P. yunnanica with P. japonica.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2016

Green microalgae from the class Chlorophyceae represent a major biodiversity component of eukaryotic algae in continental water. Identification and classification of this group through morphology is a hard task, since it may present cryptic species and phenotypic plasticity. Despite the increasing use of molecular methods for identification of microorganisms, no single standard barcode marker is yet established for this important group of green microalgae. Some available studies present results with a limited number of chlorophycean genera or using markers that require many different primers for different groups within the class. Thus, we aimed to find a single marker easily amplified and with wide coverage within Chlorophyceae using only one pair of primers. Here, we tested the universality of primers for different genes (tufA, ITS, rbcL, and UCP4) in 22 strains, comprising 18 different species from different orders of Chlorophyceae. The ITS primers sequenced only 3 strains and the UCP primer failed to amplify any strain. We tested two pairs of primers for rbcL and the best pair provided sequences for 10 strains whereas the second one provided sequences for only 7 strains. The pair of primers for the tufA gene presented good results for Chlorophyceae, successfully sequencing 21 strains and recovering the expected phylogeny relationships within the class. Thus, the tufA marker stands out as a good choice to be used as molecular marker for the class.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2021

Radicilingua Papenfuss and Calonitophyllum Aregood are two small genera of the family Delesseriaceae that consist of only three and one taxonomically accepted species, respectively. The type species of these genera, Radicilingua thysanorhizans from England and Calonitophyllum medium from the Americas, are morphologically very similar, with the only recognized differences being vein size and procarp development. To date, only other two species were recognized inside the genus Radicilingua: R. adriatica and R. reptans. In this study, we analysed specimens of Radicilingua collected in the Adriatic and Ionian Sea (Mediterranean), including a syntype locality of R. adriatica (Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea), alongside material from near the type locality of R. thysanorhizans (Torpoint, Cornwall, UK). The sequences of the rbcL-5P gene fragment here produced represent the first molecular data available for the genus Radicilingua. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the specimens from the Adriatic and Ionian Seas were genetically distinct from the Atlantic R. thysanorhizans, even if morphologically overlapping with this species. A detailed morphological description of the Mediterranean specimens, together with an accurate literature search, suggested that they were distinct also from R. adriatica and R. reptans. For these reasons, a new species was here described to encompass the Mediterranean specimens investigated in this study: R. mediterranea Wolf, Sciuto & Sfriso. Moreover, in the rbcL-5P tree, sequences of the genera Radicilingua and Calonitophyllum grouped in a well-supported clade, distinct from the other genera of the subfamily Nitophylloideae, leading us to propose that Calonitophyllum medium should be transferred to Radicilingua.

• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2011

The genus Haraldiophyllum comprises seven species worldwide. Six of these are endemics with limited distributions, whereas the type species H. bonnemaisonii has been reported from the Atlantic Ocean. In Korea, H. bonnemaisonii has been previously recorded from the southern coast. During a red algal collection at Udo, Jeju Island, Korea, we found a potentially undescribed Haraldiophyllum species and analyzed its morphology and rbcL sequences. Herein we describe a new species, H. udoensis sp. nov., and compare our Udo specimen to similar congeners. This new species is characterized by one or several elliptical blades on a short cylindrical stipe with fibrous roots, blades that are monostromatic except at the base and on reproductive structures, a lack of network and microscopic veins, entire margins, lack of proliferations, growth through many marginal initials, and two distinct tetrasporangia layers. A phylogenetic rbcL sequence analysis demonstrated H. udoensis was distinct from the United Kingdom's H. bonnemaisonii, as well as from other species. Morphological and sequence data indicated a previous misidentification of H. udoensis as the type species H. bonnemaisonii. Based on maximum likelihood analysis, Myriogramme formed a sister clade with H. udoensis, with relatively low bootstrap support.

• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2006

Neosiphonia japonica is a rhodomelacean red alga that occurs in Korea, Japan, China, far-east Russia, northwest America, and New Zealand. Although it is distinguished by a bush-like habit having four pericental cells with cortication and numerous branches on axes, the taxonomy of N. japonica is still problematic. To investigate the taxonomy and phylogeny of the species, we analyzed rbcL and phycoerythrin (cpeA/B) genes from 19 samples of N. japonica and putative relatives. Phylogenetic trees from both genes show that N. japonica from Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and USA is clearly separated from N. decumbens, N. harlandii, and N. flavimarina from the Pacific Ocean. Instead, N. harveyi from the Atlantic Ocean was more related to N. flavimarina than to N. japonica. This result supports morphological and distributional differences between N. japonica and N. harveyi. However, the close relationship between these species suggests that they might have a recent most common ancestor. This is the second report to use the cpeA/B gene for evaluating species diversity in the Rhodophytes.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.25.1-25.5
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• 2017

An economic marine alga, which is considered to be an important source of carrageenan, was collected from Jindo of the southern coast of Korea. This species shares the vegetative and female reproductive features of Ahnfeltiopsis and is characterized mostly by its small size (up to 8 cm), terete to subterete thalli at the lower portion, cartilaginous in texture, dichotomous branches, rarely produced proliferations, and an absence of hypha-like filaments in the medulla. It is distinguished from other Korean species within the genus by the thallus feature. In a phylogenetic tree based on the molecular data, this alga nests in the same clade with A. concinna from Japan but forms a sister clade to A. concinna from Mexico and Hawaii (type locality). However, the genetic distance among those sequences was calculated as 0.1-1.3% for rbcL and 1.1% for COI sequences, considered to be intraspecific variation within the genus. Based on the morphology and molecular analysis, this alga is identified as A. concinna originally described from Hawaii. This is the first record of the species in the Korean marine algal flora.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.31.1-31.7
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• 2018

Three economic marine algae that have been used as food and carrageenan sources were collected from Korea during a survey of marine algal flora. They share the generic features of Hypnea, and three major clades supported by the sectional features were confirmed in a phylogenetic tree based on rbcL sequences. The first species, which belongs to a species group corresponding to the sect. Spinuligerae, nests in the same clade with Hypnea yamadae in a genetic distance of 0%. It is morphologically characterized by an entangled base, subcompressed or subterete to terete axes, somewhat percurrent main axis, irregularly alternately branching with wide angle, and rarely hooked spinous branchlets. The second one is also referred to the sect. Spinuligerae and formed the same clade as Hypnea cenomyce. The genetic distance between both sequences was calculated as 0.0-0.1%, which is considered to be intraspecific. This species is distinct by somewhat entangled thallus at the basal part, percurrent axis, short spine-like branchlets densely covering the axis, and medullary lenticular thickenings. The third alga, which forms a species group corresponding to the sect. Pulvinatae, nests in the same clade as Hypnea nidulans (no intraspecific divergence). It shows occasionally epiphytic habitat rather than epilithic habitat of low mat-forming growth and percurrent erect main axes with dense lateral branchlets. Based on these morphological and molecular data, the three Korean species are identified as H. yamadae, H. cenomyce, and H. nidulans. This is the first record of the Hypnea species in Korea.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2022

The red algal genus Chondrus have long been used as raw materials for carrageenan and dietary fiber in health foods. Despite the importance of genetic information in safeguarding natural seaweed resources, knowledge of the population genetics of Chondrus in the northwest Pacific is limited. In this study, genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of 45 populations (777 specimens) of Chondrus from Korea, China, and Japan were evaluated based on mitochondrial COI-5P gene sequences, and phylogenetic relationships were confirmed based on plastid rbcL gene sequences. Molecular analyses assigned the specimens in this study to three Chondrus species: C. nipponicus, C. ocellatus, and C. giganteus; phenotype-based species classification was impossible owing to their high morphological plasticity. We found moderate intraspecific genetic diversity and a shallow phylogeographic structure in both for C. nipponicus and C. ocellatus, and low intraspecific genetic diversity in C. giganteus. Each of the three species exhibited high-level intraspecific gene flow among regions based on the most common haplotypes (CN1 for C. nipponicus, CO1 for C. ocellatus, and CG1 for C. giganteus). Our comprehensive genetic information provides insights into the phylogeographic patterns and intraspecific diversity of the economically important Chondrus species. It also highlights the need to conserve existing natural Chondrus resources through continuous monitoring of genetic diversity and phylogeographic pattern.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2018

Molecular phylogenetic analysis was conducted to evaluate the taxonomic relationships of genus Arisaema L. distributed in Korea and the molecular phylogenetic characteristics of three authentic Arisaema species for the herbal medicine Arisaematis Rhizoma (the rhizomes of A. amurense, A. heterophyllum, and A. erubescens). The sequences of three DNA barcodes (rDNA-ITS, matK, and rbcL) were analyzed using 50 samples of nine taxa consisted of eight Korean and one Chinese Arisaema with one outgroup (Dracunculus vulgaris). Both individual and combined phylogenetic analyses of three DNA barcode sequences revealed that the treated nine taxa are independently classified into six distinct clades (Clade I, A. amurense f. amurense and A. amurense f. serratum; Clade II, A. serratum and A. takesimense; Clade III, A. ringens; Clade IV, A. erubescens; Clade V, A. heterophyllum; Clade VI, A. thunbergii subsp. thunbergii and A. thunbergii subsp. geomundoense). These six clades were reasonably divided into three individual sections, Pedatisecta, Sinarisaema, and Tortuosa. Futhermore, the results of comparative DNA barcode sequences analyses provided a significant information for the taxonomic reconsideration of Arisaema L. at the specific and intraspecific level. However, we could not confirm the taxonomic characteristics or identity among the three authentic medicinal species through the molecular phylogenetic analyses of genus Arisaema L. for Arisaematis Rhizoma.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2014

We propose Cryptonemia asiatica sp. nov. from Korea and Japan. We used molecular analyses of plastid-encoded rbcL and morphological observations to resolve the taxonomic identities of C. lactuca from Korea, C. luxurians from Japan, and C. seminervis from Spain. Specimens of C. lactuca and C. luxurians fell within the same molecular phylogenetic clade (with 100% bootstrap support) and were clearly separated from specimens of C. luxurians collected from the type locality in Brazil. Our analyses demonstrated identical molecular sequences between C. seminervis specimens from Spain and C. lomation specimens from France. Morphological characteristics of the new species, C. asiatica include prominent midribs through the mid thallus, a cortex 4-6 cells thick, and a blade with undulate margins. Molecular evidence indicates that specimens from Korea and Japan previously assigned to C. lactuca and C. luxurians, respectively, should be reassigned to Cryptonemia asiatica. Binomial C. luxurians from Brazil should be resurrected as the independent species of Cryptonemia.