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Molecular phylogenetic analyses of Ulva (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) mats in the **angshan Bay of China using high-resolution DNA markers

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Abstract

Intertidal Ulva mats occur annually in winter and spring in the **angshan Bay (29°26′–29°34′ N, 121°27′–121°50′ E) of China. Thousands of tons of Ulva biomass have been harvested as edible seaweeds for human consumption for several decades in this region. This investigation was designed to quantify Ulva microscopic propagules associated with the mat, identify species composition, and to analyze intra-species relationships using three molecular markers. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nuclear encoded rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, the plastid encoded large subunit of the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase gene, and the 5S rDNA spacer region showed that the mat was principally composed of Ulva prolifera and Ulva flexuosa. Their propagules were detected in both the water column and sediment. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the 5S rDNA spacer region, mat samples of U. prolifera and U. flexuosa were genetically distinct from the green tide samples in the Yellow Sea and U. flexuosa samples from Jiangsu coasts, respectively, revealing that isolated geographical position of the **angshan Bay might result in the maintenance of a distinct Ulva population. The results demonstrate that high-resolution DNA markers have great potential in identification and discrimination at and below the species level.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Ma Jiahai, Liu Yimeng, and local fishermen for their assistance in sampling. This investigation is financially supported by Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Commission (10-4-1-14-hy, 11-3-1-3-hy), a project from Science and Technology Commission of Qingdao Shinan District (2011-5-030-QT) and a project from Qingdao National Oceanographic Center (QNOC).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Feng Liu, Shaojun Pang & **aobo Zhao

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  1. Feng Liu
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  2. Shaojun Pang
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  3. **aobo Zhao
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Correspondence to Shaojun Pang.

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Liu, F., Pang, S. & Zhao, X. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of Ulva (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) mats in the **angshan Bay of China using high-resolution DNA markers. J Appl Phycol 25, 1287–1295 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-012-9955-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-012-9955-5

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