High genetic diversity of the harmful algal bloom species Phaeocystis globosa revealed using the molecular marker COX1

• Published in: Harmful algae 2021-07, Vol.107, p.102065-102065, Article 102065
• Main Authors: Song, Huiyin, Chen, Yang, Gibson, Kate, Liu, Shuya, Yu, Zhiming, Chen, Nansheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COX1; Genetic diversity; Harmful algal bloom; Intra-genome variation; Molecular marker; Phylogeny
• ISSN: 1568-9883; 1878-1470
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2021.102065

•COX1 is an effective molecular marker in differentiating P. globosa strains for its low intra-genome variations and high resolution.•High P. globosa genetic diversity was uncovered using COX1.•The chloroplast genome-based molecular marker pgcp1 and mitochondrion genome-based COX1 should be used in parallel for analyzing P. globosa genetic diversity. Accumulating evidence indicates that the haptophyte species Phaeocystis globosa, which plays an important role in climate control and may cause harmful algal blooms (HABs), displays a rich genetic diversity that may be responsible for differences in colonial sizes, different toxicity during blooms, and differential optimum growth temperature. In this project, we demonstrated that COX1 can be used as an effective molecular marker for its low intra-genome variations and high resolution in differentiating different P. globosa strains. Analyzing 57 P. globosa strains and seven field samples revealed high P. globosa genetic diversity with at least seven distinct clades. This study not only demonstrated for the first time that the common molecular marker COX1 can be used for differentiating P. globosa strains with high-resolution, and for tracking dynamics of different P. globosa strains during bloom development, but also revealed that P. globosa had high genetic diversity in the field.