Genetic structure of the protist Physarum albescens (Amoebozoa) revealed by multiple markers and genotyping by sequencing

Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1-3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three-gene phylogeny, SNP-based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well-studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes

New data on Myxomycetes of North-Eastern Russia

Results of the study of species diversity of myxomycetes in North-Eastern Russia are presented. Moist chamber cultures were prepared with samples of leaf litter from Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Magadan oblast and with samples of bark from two sample plots in the vicinity of Yakutsk and Neryungri. A total of 49 species in 23 genera, 9 families, and 5 orders were recorded during the study

<b>New genus </b><b><i>Valtocarpus</i></b><b> (Myxomycetes = Eumycetozoa): molecular phylogeny and morphological analysis of aethalioid species in the order Stemonitidales</b>

The dataset includes:Fig. 1 with edited three-gene phylogenetic tree in PDFThe Table S1 with the list of specimens used for DNA extraction and sequencing and the list of sequences retrieved from GenBankThe File S1 with concatenated alignmentPartition file File S2 in RAxML formatUnedited three-gene phylogenetic tree File S3</p

Genetic structure of the protist Physarum albescens (Amoebozoa) revealed by multiple markers and genotyping by sequencing

Abstract Myxomycetes are terrestrial protists with many presumably cosmopolitan species dispersing via airborne spores. A truly cosmopolitan species would suffer from outbreeding depression hampering local adaptation, while locally adapted species with limited distribution would be at a higher risk of extinction in changing environments. Here, we investigate intraspecific genetic diversity and phylogeography of Physarum albescens over the entire Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced 324 field collections of fruit bodies for 1–3 genetic markers (SSU, EF1A, COI) and analysed 98 specimens with genotyping by sequencing. The structure of the three‐gene phylogeny, SNP‐based phylogeny, phylogenetic networks, and the observed recombination pattern of three independently inherited gene markers can be best explained by the presence of at least 18 reproductively isolated groups, which can be seen as cryptic species. In all intensively sampled regions and in many localities, members of several phylogroups coexisted. Some phylogroups were found to be abundant in only one region and completely absent in other well‐studied regions, and thus may represent regional endemics. Our results demonstrate that the widely distributed myxomycete species Ph. albescens represents a complex of at least 18 cryptic species, and some of these seem to have a limited geographical distribution. In addition, the presence of groups of presumably clonal specimens suggests that sexual and asexual reproduction coexist in natural populations of myxomycetes