TY - JOUR

T1 - Genetic structure of the protist Physarum albescens (Amoebozoa) revealed by multiple markers and genotyping by sequencing

AU - Shchepin, Oleg

AU - Novozhilov, Yuri

AU - Woyzichovski, Jan

AU - Bog, Manuela

AU - Prikhodko, Ilya

AU - Fedorova, Nadezhda

AU - Gmoshinskiy, Vladimir

AU - Borg Dahl, Mathilde

AU - Dagamac, Nikki H.A.

AU - Yajima, Yuka

AU - Schnittler, Martin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2022/1

Y1 - 2022/1

N2 - Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1–3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three-gene phylogeny, SNP-based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well-studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes.

AB - Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1–3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three-gene phylogeny, SNP-based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well-studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes.

KW - Amoebozoa

KW - Base Sequence

KW - Genetic Variation

KW - Genotype

KW - Phylogeny

KW - Physarum

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118261434&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/052e4403-7d66-36d6-be5a-59a40c3cb16e/

U2 - 10.1111/mec.16239

DO - 10.1111/mec.16239

M3 - Article

C2 - 34676941

AN - SCOPUS:85118261434

VL - 31

SP - 372

EP - 390

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

SN - 0962-1083

IS - 1

ER -