engleski

Challenges in appendicularian integrative taxonomy and barcoding

Appendicularians are a group of planktonic tunicates which usually comprise about 10% of total mesozooplankton. Despite their importance in marine plankton communities little has been done in their integrative taxonomy or barcoding. Appendicularians possess very high evolutionary rates which makes designing of universal barcoding primers a challenge. This problem is further aggravated with the discovery of poly-T insertions in mitochondrial genes of Oikopleura dioica which renders mitochondrial genes practically unsequenceable by common sequencing methods. Special challenges in sequencing appendicularian genes in combination with very few available taxonomic experts has lead to a situation where there are practically no appendicularian population genetic studies and very few available cox1 and 18S sequences. In order to gain insight in appendicularian genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships, we produced a comprehensive set of appendicularian 18S sequences as well as ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S fragment. Based on obtained data we re-assess the status of currently established genera and validity of some appendicularian subspecies. We also discuss problems in appendicularian sampling and some potential candidates for barcoding genes.

Appendicularia ; integrative taxonomy ; barcoding

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