Jessica L Allen1,2, Sean K McKenzie3, Robin S Sleith1,2, S Elizabeth Alter2,4. 1. The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York, 10458, USA. 2. The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA. 3. Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York, 10065, USA. 4. Biology Department, York College, 94-20 Guy R Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, New York, 11451, USA.
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Lichenized fungi are evolutionarily diverse and ecologically important, but little is known about the processes that drive their diversification and genetic differentiation. Distributions are often assumed to be wholly shaped by ecological requirements rather than dispersal limitations. Furthermore, although asexual and sexual reproductive structures are observable, the lack of information about recombination rates makes inferences about reproductive strategies difficult. We investigated the population genomics of Cetradonia linearis, a federally endangered lichen in the southern Appalachians of eastern North America, to test the relative contributions of environmental and geographic distance in shaping genetic structure, and to characterize the mating system and genome-wide recombination. METHODS: Whole-genome shotgun sequencing was conducted to generate data for 32 individuals of C. linearis. A reference genome was assembled, and reads from all samples were aligned to generate a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms for further analyses. KEY RESULTS: We found evidence for low rates of recombination and for isolation by distance, but not for isolation by environment. The species is putatively unisexual, given that only one mating-type locus was found. Hindcast species distribution models and the distribution of genetic diversity support C. linearis having a larger range during the Last Glacial Maximum in the southern portion of its current extent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to the understanding of factors that shape genetic diversity in C. linearis and in fungi more broadly. Because all populations are highly genetically differentiated, the extirpation of any population would mean the loss of unique genetic diversity; therefore, our results support the continued conservation of this species.
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Lichenized fungi are evolutionarily diverse and ecologically important, but little is known about the processes that drive their diversification and genetic differentiation. Distributions are often assumed to be wholly shaped by ecological requirements rather than dispersal limitations. Furthermore, although asexual and sexual reproductive structures are observable, the lack of information about recombination rates makes inferences about reproductive strategies difficult. We investigated the population genomics of Cetradonia linearis, a federally endangered lichen in the southern Appalachians of eastern North America, to test the relative contributions of environmental and geographic distance in shaping genetic structure, and to characterize the mating system and genome-wide recombination. METHODS: Whole-genome shotgun sequencing was conducted to generate data for 32 individuals of C. linearis. A reference genome was assembled, and reads from all samples were aligned to generate a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms for further analyses. KEY RESULTS: We found evidence for low rates of recombination and for isolation by distance, but not for isolation by environment. The species is putatively unisexual, given that only one mating-type locus was found. Hindcast species distribution models and the distribution of genetic diversity support C. linearis having a larger range during the Last Glacial Maximum in the southern portion of its current extent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to the understanding of factors that shape genetic diversity in C. linearis and in fungi more broadly. Because all populations are highly genetically differentiated, the extirpation of any population would mean the loss of unique genetic diversity; therefore, our results support the continued conservation of this species.
Authors: Bastian Greshake Tzovaras; Francisca H I D Segers; Anne Bicker; Francesco Dal Grande; Jürgen Otte; Seyed Yahya Anvar; Thomas Hankeln; Imke Schmitt; Ingo Ebersberger Journal: Genome Biol Evol Date: 2020-04-01 Impact factor: 3.416
Authors: Jesse Jorna; Jackson B Linde; Peter C Searle; Abigail C Jackson; Mary-Elise Nielsen; Madeleine S Nate; Natalie A Saxton; Felix Grewe; María de Los Angeles Herrera-Campos; Richard W Spjut; Huini Wu; Brian Ho; H Thorsten Lumbsch; Steven D Leavitt Journal: Ecol Evol Date: 2021-12-19 Impact factor: 2.912