Journal of Applied Phycology

3.3

0921-8971

SCIE

[논문]Molecular phylogeny and genetic diversity of the economic seaweed Meristotheca (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) in the northwest Pacific, with a description of M. pilulaora sp. Nov

Mi Yeon Yang

양미연

Jeong Chan Kang, Daisuke Fujita, Myung Sook Kim

Species of the red algal genus Meristotheca are important natural resources that can be used directly as food for human
consumption as well as raw materials for the extraction of carrageenan. Despite being harvested in Japan and Korea, a comprehensive taxonomic study of Meristotheca specimens from these two countries to elucidate their phylogenetic position
is lacking. In this study, we aimed to clarify the taxonomic identities of specimens currently regarded as M. papulosa from
Korea and Japan by analyzing morphological and molecular data. As the result, we recognized a new species, Meristotheca
pilulaora sp. nov. from Korea and resurrected Meristotheca japonica for specimens from Japan. The two entities have long
been identifed as M. papulosa and exhibit similar external morphologies. They appeared independently in the concatenated
phylogenetic tree of COI-5P and rbcL and could also be distinguished morphologically by the position of cystocarps (blade
margins in M. pilulaora; marginal proliferations in M. japonica), spinose cystocarps (absent in M. pilulaora; present in M.
japonica), and the number of cortical cell layers (two in M. pilulaora; 4–8 in M. japonica). The DNA analysis of M. pilulaora
sp. nov. in local populations showed 11 COI-5P haplotypes on Jeju Island with no apparent geographical structure. High
genetic diversity and occurrence of unique haplotypes in southern Jeju may provide a genetic basis for population with high
thermal tolerance. These fndings have strengthened our understanding of the species diversity of the genus Meristotheca
and provided insights into conservation, management, and haplotype selection for the future cultivation of these economically important species.

2023.11.29.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-023-03135-4