title: Phylogenetic Reappraisal of the Genus Monomorphina (Euglenophyceae) Based on Molecular and Morphological Data.
abstract: A morphological and molecular examination of the genus Monomorphina was conducted on 46 strains isolated mainly from Korea. The strains were divided into two types based on morphological data: Monomorphina aenigmatica and M. pyrum - like species. Phylogenetic analysis based on a combined data set of nuclear SSU and LSU and plastid SSU and LSU rDNA showed that the strains could be divided into eight clades: Clade A of M. aenigmatica, Clade B of the isolates (M. pyropsis) from Michigan, USA, Clade C of M. pseudopyrum, Clade D of the isolates (M. pyroria) from Bremen, Germany, Clade E of M. soropyrum, Clade F of M. pyriformis, Clade G of M. parapyrum, and Clade H of M. pyrum. Six of these clades came from strains that would be considered M. pyrum sensu Kosmala et Zakryś, one of which could be recognized as a traditional species (M. pyrum) and five were designated as new species; each species had unique molecular signatures at nr SSU rDNA helix 17 and 17' and spacer E23_14'-E23_15. The species of Monomorphina had a wide range of genetic diversity with interspecies sequence similarity of 85.6%-97.1% and intraspecies similarity of 96.4%-99.9%. Our results suggested that genetic diversity found in the M. pyrum complex justifies the recognition of a minimum of eight species within this genus, based on specific molecular signatures and gene divergence of the nr SSU rDNA sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Im
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
authors.forename: Woongghi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Triemer
keywords: Monomorphina; gene divergence; molecular signature; phylogeny