Dissertation Research: Systematics of Ulvaceae (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) using Nuclear and Chloroplast DNA Sequences

论文研究：利用核和叶绿体 DNA 序列进行石莼科（石莼目、绿藻门）系统学

• 批准号: 0073169
• 负责人: J. Robert Waaland
• 金额: $ 0.95万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-05-15 至 2002-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0073169&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Systematics; Ulvaceae; Ulvales

0073169Waaland and Hayden Despite numerous DNA-based systematic and phylogenetic studies of land plants in the past decade, some major green plant lineages await exploration. The green algal division Chlorophyta contains many such groups, including the Ulvaceae (Ulvales, Ulvophyceae). Ulvaceae are morphologically simple cosmopolitan, macroscopic algae of marine and freshwater environments. Two members of the family, Ulva and Enteromorpha, are among the most familiar green seaweed genera. Common as ship fouling algae, they also are often implicated in "green tides" which result from excessive accumulations of their biomass following a bloom event. In addition to direct smothering of marine fauna, hydrogen sulfide released from the decaying biomass of green tides can present major health concerns for humans and marine communities. Morphological simplicity and phenotypic plasticity have thwarted pastattempts by systematists to diagnose natural groupings within the species-rich genera Ulva and Enteromorpha as well as among these and other genera inthe family. Graduate student Hillary Hayden, directed by Dr. J. Robert Waaland, will be studying the taxonomic affinities and systematic relationships of these genera, with an emphasis on new DNA-sequence data from both nuclear and chloroplast genes, for comparative analyses of mutational differences among the species. An improved understanding of Ulvaceae systematics is necessary for interpreting green tide phenomena and recognizing non-indigenous species. Further, biologists will benefit from a better understanding of phylogenetic relationships among these taxa and the complexity of phenotypic changes exhibited among a very closely related group of algae.

尽管在过去的十年中对陆地植物进行了大量基于dna的系统和系统发育研究，但一些主要的绿色植物谱系仍有待探索。绿藻分区绿藻门包含许多这样的类群，包括ulvacae （Ulvales, Ulvophyceae）。藻科是一种形态简单、分布广泛、宏观的海洋和淡水藻类。该家族的两个成员，Ulva和Enteromorpha，是最熟悉的绿色海藻属。它们是常见的船舶污染藻类，也经常与“绿潮”有关，这是由于藻华事件后其生物量过度积累造成的。除了直接窒息海洋动物外，绿潮中腐烂的生物质释放的硫化氢会给人类和海洋群落带来严重的健康问题。形态学的简单性和表型的可塑性阻碍了系统学家过去在物种丰富的Ulva属和Enteromorpha属以及这些属和其他属之间诊断自然分组的尝试。研究生希拉里·海登（Hillary Hayden）将在J. Robert Waaland博士的指导下，研究这些属的分类亲缘关系和系统关系，重点是来自核和叶绿体基因的新dna序列数据，以比较分析物种之间的突变差异。提高对绿潮科植物的系统学认识对于解释绿潮现象和识别非本地物种是必要的。此外，生物学家将受益于更好地了解这些分类群之间的系统发育关系，以及在一个非常密切相关的藻类群体中表现出的表型变化的复杂性。