Journal
PROTIST
Volume 165, Issue 4, Pages 401-416Publisher
ELSEVIER GMBH
DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2014.04.006
Keywords
Bacillariophyta; centric diatom; microsatellites; pedigree analyses; sexual reproduction; Skeletonema
Categories
Funding
- European Community RI Action ASSEMBLE Grant [227799]
- Research Council Formas [2009-1185]
- Stiftelsen Oscar and Lilli Lamms Minne
- Wilhelm and Martina Lundgrens Vetenskapsfond
- Wahlstroms Minnesfond
- Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg
- Kapten Carl Stenholms Donationsfond
- Academy of Finland [256074]
- SZN-funded project on Marine Biodiversity
- Academy of Finland (AKA) [256074, 256074] Funding Source: Academy of Finland (AKA)
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This study provides microscopic and molecular evidence for sexual reproduction in the homothallic centric diatom Skeletonema marinoi isolated from the Baltic Sea. The species is capable of restoring cell size asexually through an auxospore-like stage. However, cells were sexualized after shifting strains from low (6 PSU) to high (16 PSU) salinity. We observed flagellate male gametes and oogonia, with diameters of 3-4 and 3.2-6.3 mu m, respectively. Fertilization took place followed by the formation of round auxospores surrounded by thin siliceous incunabular scales. Auxosporulation was synchronized, and a maximum of auxospores was detected on day three following the salinity shift. The proportion of auxospores to vegetative cells ranged from 0.02 to 0.18. There was a significant correlation between auxosporulation success and inoculum cell density. At lower cell concentration (5,000 cells ml(-1)), proportionally fewer auxospores were formed. Auxospores were formed in single strains and in crosses of strains. The proportion of auxospores differed significantly among strains and crosses of strains. Additionally, we isolated single auxospores, obtained F1 strains and performed microsatellite based pedigree analysis of parental generations and their offspring. We proved that the auxospores were formed sexually, either by inter- or by intra-strain fertilization. (C) 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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