History of the aquatic macrophyte transition in lake Shinji explored by DNA information from lake sediment cores

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12574
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 04010:Geography-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology (2019-2021); Yamaguchi University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Komuro Takashi 国立研究開発法人海上・港湾・航空技術研究所, 港湾空港技術研究所, 専任研究員 (40782561)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: sedaDNA / 車軸藻類 / 宍道湖 / 湖沼堆積物 / 水草

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Reconstruction of aquatic macrophyte in lakes has been done by directly extracting and identifying seeds and oospores in the sediments. However, this method indicates that if seeds are not present in the sediment, they did not exist. On the other hand, with sedaDNA, if DNA is present in the sediment, its presence can be elucidated from the genetic information. In this study, we designed primers and probes for C. braunii, and primers that can specifically amplify the genus chara of charales. Using these primers and probes, we performed PCR on DNA extracted from Lake Shinji sediments and succeeded in detecting the species in the lake sediments of Lake Shinji around 1914-1932.

Free Research Field

自然地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は、宍道湖において1960年代以前の堆積物から車軸藻類の卵胞子が発見されたことと、整合が取れる結果となった。本研究で用いたsedaDNA法は、従来の湖沼における水草の復元方法に、新たな方法として組み込むことが可能であることを示した。今後は、宍道湖だけでなく他の湖沼においてもsedaDNAによる水草の復元が可能かを検討し、将来的にはsedaDNAを用いて、湖沼の水草の変遷情報を明らかにしていくことが湖沼環境を考えるうえで重要になると考える。