A new marine prasinophyte genus alternates between a flagellate and a dominant benthic stage with microrhizoids for adhesion

Journal of Phycology
Richard WetherbeeHeroen Verbruggen

Abstract

Prasinophytes (Chlorophyta) are a diverse, paraphyletic group of planktonic microalgae for which benthic species are largely unknown. Here, we report a sand-dwelling, marine prasinophyte with several novel features observed in clonal cultures established from numerous locations around Australia. The new genus and species, which we name Microrhizoidea pickettheapsiorum (Mamiellophyceae), alternates between a benthic palmelloid colony, where cell division occurs, and a planktonic flagellate. Flagellates are short lived, settle and quickly resorb their flagella, the basal bodies then nucleate novel tubular appendages, termed "microrhizoids", that lack an axoneme and function to anchor benthic cells to the substratum. To our knowledge, microrhizoids have not been observed in any other green alga or protist, are slightly smaller in diameter than flagella, generally contain nine microtubules, are long (3-5 times the length of flagella) and are not encased in scales. Following settlement, cell divisions result in a loose, palmelloid colony, each cell connected to the substratum by two microrhizoids. Flagellates are round to bean-shaped with two long, slightly uneven flagella. Both benthic cells and flagellates, along with their flagel...Continue Reading

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Dec 12, 2018·Journal of Phycology·Richard WetherbeeHeroen Verbruggen
Mar 28, 2019·Scientific Reports·Margot Tragin, Daniel Vaulot

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Citations

Dec 1, 2019·Journal of Phycology·Matthew D Herron

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