A study of diversity of minute brown algae using culture and molecular analyses

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06817
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Kogame Kazuhiro 北海道大学, 理学研究院, 教授 (80215219)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 褐藻 / 微小褐藻 / DNAバーコーディング / cox1 / COI / 分子系統

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brown algae include not only large species such as kelps, but also small species less than a few millimeters in size. The taxonomy of such minute brown algae is confusing because of the lack of clear taxonomic characters, making species identification difficult. In this study, isolates of minute brown algae were established from samples collected from the Japanese coasts, and DNA sequences were determined for the isolates in order to use the DNA sequences for understanding of the species classification and diversity of minute brown algae. DNA sequences were determined for 245 of 368 isolates. 24 isolates were identified at species level, and 5 species were considered to be new to Japan.

Free Research Field

植物分類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

褐藻類にはコンブのような大形の種類だけではなく，数mm以下の小さなものもいる。そのような微小褐藻は，明瞭な分類形質が少なく分類が混乱しており，種同定が難しい。そこで，DNA塩基配列決定し，DNA塩基配列を用いて，微小褐藻の種分類，多様性の理解を目指した。微小褐藻の種をDNAで区別できるようになることで，分類だけでなく，これまで行うことができなかった微小褐藻の生態学的研究や他の生物との関係，環境評価，有用成分の探索など，他分野の研究の発展につながることが期待される。