title: Morphological and Molecular Phylogenetic Position of Prorocentrum micans sensu stricto and Description of Prorocentrum koreanum sp. nov. from Southern Coastal Waters in Korea and Japan.
abstract: Prorocentrum micans is an extremely variable dinoflagellate species, with many different local forms reported worldwide. Because of this morphological diversity, it is important to establish whether these various forms belong to P. micans sensu stricto. For this study, P. micans-like specimens were isolated from several localities in the southern coastal waters of Korea and Japan. The morphological characteristics and the molecular signatures of P. micans were re-examined. Moreover, a new Prorocentrum species, Prorocentrum koreanum sp. nov. was established through detailed light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy observations. Examination of the periflagellar platelets revealed that P. koreanum sp. nov. differs from P. micans. Furthermore, P. koreanum and P. micans exhibited different distribution patterns of trichocyst pores. Through molecular phylogeny analysis of small subunit (SSU) rRNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and large subunit (LSU) rRNA sequence, we found P. koreanum to be more closely related to P. mexicanum and P. rhathymum than to P. micans. Additionally, ITS2 compensatory base changes also provide strong evidence to support P. koreanum and P. micans being separate species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea. Electronic address: hanms@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Myung-Soo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Pengbin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Bum Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Lowland and Marine Research, Saga University, Honjo 1, Saga City 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katano
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea.
authors.forename: Baik-Ho
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007564:Japan; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan
keywords: Prorocentrum; molecular phylogeny; morphology; new species; southern coastal waters of Korea and Japan.